Instagram is estimated to be used by over half of all American young adults aged 18-29 with internet access. On apps such as Instagram, it is easy to be bombarded by unrealistic beauty standards, influencer-prescribed diet plans, and expectations to look and eat a certain way to be “healthy.”

By: Elizabeth Low

Social media amplifies beauty ideals, invites negative social comparisons, and can be a source of anxiety. Apps like Instagram and TikTok can even normalize or promote disordered eating like orthorexia. So, how are social media and orthorexia linked?

What Is Orthorexia?

Orthorexia is a type of disordered eating named by Dr. Steven Bratman in the late 1990s. Although it is not recognized as an eating disorder in the DSM-5, it affects a significant population, with a higher prevalence among nutrition students, yoga instructors, and dieticians. Orthorexia can be defined as an obsessive fixation on healthy eating. Instead of focusing on the quantity of the food one consumes people with orthorexia are usually overly concerned with the nutritious quality of food. This type of disordered eating can interfere with relationships, social life, work, and education. Someone with orthorexia focuses on the purity of food and may not feel comfortable eating food prepared by anyone other than themselves since they would not know the exact ingredients used.

Orthorexic Tendencies on Social Media

Orthorexic tendencies are often showcased and normalized across social media. This content usually results in poor self-esteem, body image, and self-comparison. According to a 2017 study with 713 participants, higher Instagram use is linked to a greater tendency to engage in orthorexic behavior. Orthorexic behaviors can include removing or restricting specific nutrients, removing whole food groups, and avoiding processed foods.

On Instagram and other social media platforms like YouTube, some influencers or celebrities (who are not qualified to advise on how or what someone should eat) are sometimes considered authorities on healthy eating and exercise due to their posts and their socially admired bodies. The implication is that if an influencer or celebrity tells us what they do regarding exercise or diet, then if we emulate their behavior, we should look like them. An increasing amount of content promotes “clean eating,” cutting out different socially demonized food groups. A common type of video on YouTube or TikTok includes detailing content creators' food intake for the whole day, which lacks the nuance of explaining that every person has different dietary needs and no two people should eat exactly the same.

When Is Eating Healthy a Bad Thing?

A fixation on healthy eating may not seem so terrible. However, when you consider the inflexibility many individuals with orthorexic tendencies have with their lifestyles, it is clear that their mental health could suffer. Health is multifaceted. Even if your physical health is great, compromising your mental or social health is detrimental and not worth it, especially in the long run. A healthy relationship with food means being comfortable with spontaneity, enjoying delicious foods, and being okay with balance, not perfection. When it comes to social media, we have to resist the diet culture messaging that is so pervasive on these apps, especially when they tend to be orthorexic in nature. We must evaluate the content we engage with to protect our mental health and ask ourselves if the content brings us joy or makes us unhappy.

While orthorexia may not be a diagnosable eating disorder in the DSM-V, it is still a serious condition worthy of care. If you are worried that you or a loved one may struggle with orthorexia or orthorexic tendencies, contact a medical professional or your treatment team for guidance and support.

Do You Think You Or A Loved One Might Be Living With Orthorexia Nervosa?

At BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™, we are dedicated to treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including orthorexia, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and other disordered eating behaviors and body image issues. We understand that each client is unique and requires a customized treatment program.

Our admissions team would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our programs and services. Book a free consultation call with our admissions team below, or read more about our philosophy here.

This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Elizabeth Low (she/her).

Elizabeth graduated from San Jose State University with a sociology degree concentrating in social interaction and a minor in psychology. She understands firsthand the difficulties of having an eating disorder and body image issues. In the future, she plans to pursue a career in dietetics. She would love to help individuals have a healthy relationship with food and their body image. She hopes to actively counteract social messaging linked to disordered eating, overexercise, and body dissatisfaction.

References

Bratman, Steven. “Orthorexia vs. Theories of Healthy Eating.” Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, vol. 22, 2017, pp. 381-385.

Turner, Pixie G, and Carmen E Lefevre. “Instagram Use is Linked to Increased Symptoms of Orthorexia Nervosa.” Eating and Weight Disorders, vol. 22, no. 2, 2017, pp. 277-284. doi:10.1007/s40519-017-0364-2

The Connection Between Orthorexia and Social Media