Clear Thinking On Orthorexia From Dr. Emily Deans

Posted on February 1, 2013 | 2 Comments

Are folks in the paleo/primal community more at risk for orthorexia? Well, obviously. Here we have a pre-selected population of folks who tend to be on the obsessive side who care a great deal about food, and many of them have had great health benefits from some dietary changes. It’s very tempting to look to solve the next health problem with a tweak in diet or supplements. Unfortunately, one could tweak forever, with additional restrictions in diet leading to smaller and smaller benefits, no benefits at all, or even health problems derived from the diet. One can easily eat too little and intermittent fast too much on a strict paleo/primal diet, causing hormonal problems as the starvation response kicks in. One can also develop nutritional deficiencies from a very restricted diet. And some folks will delay going to the doctor for a serious medical problem, trying to find a solution by surfing the internet and eating zero carb (or only raw food, or cutting out every last molecule of fructose, or eating only this or that…).

Here’s the rest.

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2 Responses to Clear Thinking On Orthorexia From Dr. Emily Deans

  1. Amanda williams | February 1, 2013 at 12:57 pm | Reply

    Ok. Appreciate anything that goes against the norm can attract fanatics. But there is no evidence of any detriment to health from following a classical and satiating paleo diet. Moreover there is evidence of people with prior health problems significantly improving on this regime.

    If one just applies the simple logic of the paleo diet being the one most suited to our physiology, it almsot cannot go wrong if sensibly applied. Whether one applies a heuristic or exhaustive exploratory approach, the logic prevails and the results are well documented.

    • Steve Parker, M.D. | April 5, 2013 at 6:07 am | Reply

      Hi, Amanda.
      Fruits and potatoes, for example, are components of many “classical” paleo diets. Many of my diabetic patients report that their blood sugars spike too high if they eat even normal servings of fruits, potatoes, and starchy vegetables. By too big, I mean over 180-200 mg/dl, for example.

      -Steve

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