orthorexia

American  

[awr-thuh--rek-see-uh] / ˌɔr θə ˈrɛk si ə /

Also orthorexia nervosa

noun

1. an obsession with eating foods that are considered healthy, especially when accompanied by an obsessive aversion to, or even fear of, foods that are considered unhealthy.

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orthorexia British  

/ ˈɔːθəˌrɛksɪə /

noun

1. a disorder characterized by a morbid obsession with eating healthy foods only

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Other Word Forms

• orthorexic adjective

Etymology

Origin of orthorexia

orth(o)- ( def. ) + -orexia ( def. ); coined by Steven Bratman, U.S. physician, in 1997

Example Sentences

People with orthorexia are not necessarily driven by a desire to lose weight or exist in a thin body.

From Slate • May 25, 2025

For the Milla character, Strauss researched orthorexia, an eating disorder in which people are obsessed with “healthy” food, and also delved into the history of alternative medicine retreats like the one Milla visits in Mexico.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025

One example comes from social media and its influence on people with orthorexia nervosa, a harmful obsession with a diet that’s perceived to be healthy.

From Scientific American • Jul. 25, 2023

Researchers note that such moralizing can lead to the development of eating disorders like orthorexia, or a fixation on eating "correct" foods.

From Salon • Nov. 7, 2022

Researchers note that such moralizing can lead to the development of eating disorders like orthorexia, or a fixation on eating “correct” foods.

From Salon • Nov. 6, 2022