Health foods are no longer healthy, warn experts. urban indians obsessed with eating right are suffering a panic attack each time they break their self-imposed routine. Here's why health experts are telling us to grab a few potato chips over fibre biscuits, once in a while
Health foods are no longer healthy, warn experts. urban Indians obsessed with eating right are suffering a panic attack each time they break their self-imposed routine. Here's why health experts are telling us to grab a few potato chips over fibre biscuits, once in a while
In a bizarre reversal of events, nutritionists in the city find themselves advising patients to enjoy a slice of Cheese Pizza or Chocolate Truffle. The health food obsession that's gripped urban Indians is gradually taking victims who suffer from a panic attack every time they break their self-imposed routine and consume fast food.
A relatively new eating disorder called Orthorexia Nervosa is common among Urban Indians who are fixated with consuming "health" foods, robbing them of necessary nutrition. What constitutes health food is a decision individuals take for themselves, often risking depression, hypertension, and in extreme cases, heart attacks and kidney failure. 
He gave up veggies and dairy
Thirty two year-old Chembur entrepreneur Ritesh Mehta's (name changed on request) professional life was a hectic one, involving frequent foreign trips and irregular eating habits that led to rapid weight gain. Random advise from friends and healthy eating propaganda in the media got him hooked to organic food. An organic food store in Bandra became his hangout. But with limited options available, Mehta's diet was restricted to pastas eaten with organic sauces, and excluded dairy products and most vegetables.u00a0
Leads to social isolation
Dr Kersi Chavda, President-Bombay Psychiatric Society and Consultant at PD Hinduja Hospital, says he has seen an alarming rise in such cases and has treated more than 10 patients in the last three months. Unlike Anorexia, where an individual starves to lose weight, Orthorexia Nervosa affects those who are obsessed with eating right. "Patients typically fall in the 18 to 40 year bracket. In fact, I have come across young parents who ban their kids from having even a few chips or a sip of cola. That's extreme. It can lead to social isolation. Sooner or later, such individuals find themselves excluded from invitations to social gatherings, leading to the onset of depression and alienation," he says.
Fats protect vital organs
City nutritionist Anjali Peswani, who Mehta is consulting, says the disorder also includes those who exclude certain food groups. Some binge on raw foods only, others go vegan and exclude all animal and dairy products. Still others survive on liquids. "If you opt for a fat-free diet, it impairs tissue and muscle formation since all our vital organs are covered with a lining of fat that protects them in case of injury. An exclusive vegan diet can lead to a calcium deficit. Since calcium plays a role in the absorption of Vitamin C and Vitamin D3, you could be depriving your body of these vitamins. A liquid diet robs the body of fibre. Those on a liquid diet tend to OD on juices. But juices are high in simple sugars, and it could lead to diabetes and malnutrition," says Peswani.
Dr Viral Patrawala, Gastroenterologist with Dr LH Hiranandani Hospital warns that a restricted diet could lead to an acid imbalance. While vitamins and folic acid aid absorption of food, a lack of protein can lead to water logging in the gastro-intestinal tract. Malnutrition is reflected in the swelling of legs and a constant feeling of tiredness, he says. The body may not suffer in the short term, with vitamins and mineral reserves making up for the deficiency, but depletion over time can lead to neurological problems and a low haemoglobin count.
Banning all high calorie foods from your diet is far from wise, say experts. "Consume them in controlled quantities. It is good to indulge once in a while," advises Peswani.
The shrink
Dr Kersi Chavda, President-Bombay Psychiatric Society and Consultant at PD Hinduja Hospital
Patients typically fall in the 18 to 40 year bracket. Obsession with eating nothing other than health foods leads to social isolation. Sooner or later, such individuals find themselves excluded from invitations to social gatherings, leading to the onset of depression and alienation.
The nutritionist
Anjali Peswani, nutritionist
If you opt for a fat-free diet, it impairs tissue and muscle formation since all our vital organs are covered with a lining of fat that protects them in case of injury. Banning all high calorie foods from your diet is far from wise. Consume them in controlled quantities. It is good to indulge once in a while
Orthorexia Nervosa
Eating disorder characterised by the obsession to eat right. Individuals suffer a panic attack every time they break their self-imposed routine and consume fast food.
Why some of us get addicted to health foods
The disorder is common especially among those who went from being fat to thin. Weight loss leads to a feeling of achievement and happiness, spurring on a further desire to lose weight. The disorder is caused by an imbalance of Serotonin, a hormone that controls nerve impulses. It's the "happy hormone", often linked with a good feeling when secreted in sufficient amounts. When a person is stressed, the levels dip, often causing him to take extreme measures to feel better, including eating only certain foods to experience the high that accompanies weight loss.
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