Expert: Dawn McNamara - 2/6/2011

Question
Im one of those people who can eat a lot of food and remain skinny, so it may sound a little weird that despite that factor, i get very worried about what i eat. My  major preoccupation is to be as healthy as possible (it´s not orthorexia, because i really want to get sure im eating enough of all the food groups) I think about having fresh nutritious low-GI food in order not to have diabetes, or at least delay it (my father is diabetic because he ate unhealthily and excessively, my mother is fat although she was a very beautiful thin woman when she was young) I care about remaining slim but not unnourished, i take vitamins, and care about the distribution of food groups. Also I do not skip meals (try to eat 5 times a day) because i know that is even worse than eating shit, and that contradictorily that makes you get fat as it increases insulin peaks. I eat a lot in quantity but low in calories. I eat meat, fruits, vegetables but lately i avoid dairy products (milk produces me acne, really)despite i know milk proteins are the best and cant be replaced, but i try to compensate with other protein sources including soy milk, meat and legumes. As you can guess i try not to eat sugary, fried, smoked or too salty food. In fact it´s not frequent, but lately when i feel i wan´t to try these food i chew a little portion and spit it, of course, because im a "little" obsessive, i care about eating something healthy inmediatly after this to cheat my stomach and avoid the unnecessary production of gastric juices and brush my teeth every time i eat something to prevent tooth decay. If someone interferes with my "healthy" feeding i get really irritable. Some time ago In the presence of others i used to eat a lot of food just to show them that i am slim not because i want to but because it´s the way i am. Now i do not eat shitty food but try to, when acquaintances are watching me, to avoid suspicion of my obsessive behavior jajaja (With my friends i eat as i want and do not judge me) It´s not difficult for me because people who knows me since i was a child think i still eat a lot of every food, even more than average people and remain skinny, because this was true, i really used to. I have 24 years now.I started worrying about my diet when i was 18, but i think everytime i´m taking this with more seriousness. I do not meet the requirements to be diagnosed with an eating desorder, maybe just my weight but i´ve been always slim and my mother was too,and have a high amount of muscle and low fat, so it´s really funny that for some people i am considered to be a healthy, genetically slim sportive beautiful girl who eats a lot. For others i am way too skinny and must be this slim because i do not eat and have anorexia (I hate that). But my major concern is not to be slim but healthy and it´s like because i am slim i can´t talk about healthy food or avoiding nonnutritive food or otherwise i am considered to be anorexic or so.Yes, i sometimes chew and spit, but i can´t be diagnosed with any eating disorder, because even this behavior isn´t frequent enough and  I have had blood tests and i´m really healthy. Maybe is just that because food it´s not the only thing i care about,  I can only be considered as a perfectionist/obsessive person who cares a lot about making things right. ¿Do I have some disorder or i do not have anything to care about?

After this really really long text I would appreciate your opinion (Sorry if my english isn´t clearly enough)

Erica

Answer
Hi Erica!
I understand how frustrated you must feel. However I am not a ED professional, just a person who has dealt with eating disorders from my own experience. I have been bulimic and anorexic both for 25 years. You said a couple things however that lead me to believe that you may be developing an eating disorder. One- that you will chew and spit out foods that you dont feel are healthy for you to be eating. Chewing and spitting is common among bulimics and anorexics. Also the need to avoid suspicion from your friends and family, this says to me that they are concerned.
 Its good to be aware of the effect of diet on your body. But when it starts to lead to secrecy it means that it may be getting out of hand. It sounds like its starting to affect the quality of relationships. That concerns me. Orthorexia is not anorexia, but it can lead to more and more restrictiveness in eating. Ortho is a obsessiveness with the "healthiness" of everything you take in - to the point of distraction, its an obsession with "right" eating. It sounds like your aware that you maybe crossing over into an obsessiveness with your eating. I would talk to a nutritionist just to get an outside opinion. It cant hurt, if anything, you can bring your family to a meeting so they can understand you better. It may actually help them too!
 Remember, just because you are not diagnosed with an 'eating disorder', does not mean that your eating patterns are not becoming disordered. Almost all eating disorders begin gradually. And you sounds like you have a wonderful mind and healthy intentions, keep it in check, and get together with a nutritionist to make the most of your knowledge base.
Peace,
Dawn