PACK IT IN Leave room for treats

Eat well, but not too well

EATING HEALTHILY IS GOOD for your running and waistline – but it can become an obsession if you’re not careful. Orthorexia is defined by Anorexia & Bulimia Care as ‘an unhealthy obsession with otherwise healthy food’, and it’s the subject of dietitian and nutritionist Renee Mcgregor’s new book, Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Goes Bad. ‘Orthorexia is closely related to anorexia, but focused on quality of food rather than quantity,’ says Mcgregor. ‘People with orthorexia can’t deviate from the rules. They’re so hung up on where ingredients come from, and how something has been cooked, that it impacts on their quality of life.’

In a climate of Instagram feeds and fad diets, disorders such as orthorexia thrive. ‘We’re constantly being told we should use coconut oil, be gluten-free, be sugar-free,’ says Mcgregor. ‘But it’s often being spouted by people with no real credentials.’ And runners are an at-risk group. ‘Whenever you have someone with that extreme tendency, it normally comes with another extreme tendency – and an eating disorder very much fits the bill.’ Orthorexia is difficult to diagnose, and there’s no official test for it, but if you answer ‘yes’ to the following questions, it may be worth seeing your GP to discuss your relationship with food.

Do you care more about the virtue of what you eat than the pleasure you receive from eating it? Do you sacrifice experiences you once enjoyed to eat the food you believe is right? Do you feel anxious when you deviate even slightly from your dietary rules? Is your approach to eating making you more isolated?