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Children with orthorexia nervosa have an obsession with healthy eating that can impact their health and well-being. At Children’s Health, we don’t talk about foods as “unhealthy” or “healthy.” Instead, we can help your child reduce anxiety and learn to enjoy food, while teaching them about nutrition and the importance of finding balance.
Children who have orthorexia nervosa are obsessed with eating only “healthy” foods. They may become so focused on eating “clean,” “healthy” or “pure” foods that it can contribute to serious anxiety. Children with this condition may feel anxious about every meal, become stressed when foods they perceive as “healthy” aren’t available and may lose lots of weight.
Orthorexia nervosa is common in children with eating disorders, which are conditions where people engage in eating behaviors that negatively impact their health. This includes:
If your child has orthorexia nervosa, they’re constantly worrying and thinking about food (either what they ate or what they’re going to eat). Signs and symptoms may include:
Scientists don’t know exactly what causes eating disorders and related conditions like orthorexia, but a combination of these factors can cause them to develop:
Our treatment options are designed to help children address the irrational thoughts they have about food and help them cope with emotions they have about eating. We provide a variety of treatment options, including:
Children’s Health℠ has a team of doctors, licensed clinical therapists, dietitians, nurses, psychologists and psychiatrists who can help your child.
If your child wants to eat a diet that includes healthy foods or foods that are good for them, that’s terrific. It becomes a problem when children develop an obsession with eating only “healthy” foods, and it causes them to lose too much weight and feel anxious about eating.
Several factors play a role in this obsessive behavior: Children have access to a lot of information about food that may not be true through social media and TV. Many food companies promote their foods as clean, raw and organic. This can shape children’s beliefs that some foods are “good” and others are “bad.”
Having this information doesn’t cause someone to become obsessive about food. But for some children who may be self-critical, anxious or prone to worry, these messages might make them feel like the only way to be “healthy” is to limit their diet to “healthy” foods.
Young children and teens with orthorexia often show the five following signs: