Eits… Don't Be Wrong, Being Obsessed With Healthy Food Can Actually Lead To Malnutrition

JAKARTA - Obsession with healthy food is classified as an eating disorder or called Orthorexia Nervosa. For that, you should be vigilant.

Ida Gunawan, a nutritionist who specializes in nutrition consultant clinics on nutritional metabolic disorders from the Indonesian Clinical Nutrition Specialist Association (PDGKI), Ida Gunawan, said that being obsessed with healthy food can have bad effects, one of which risks making you malnourished or malnourished.

"In practice, if she doesn't find healthy food according to her, then she can become stressed, anxious, feeling guilty, anxious, and so on. Finally, it makes her choose not to eat rather than having to eat foods that she thinks are unhealthy", said the doctor who practices at the Pondok Indah-Puri Indah Hospital as reported by Antara, Wednesday, June 9.

According to Ida, there are differences in the concept of healthy eating among those with orthorexia and those who adopt a healthy diet. People who adopt a healthy diet generally adhere to a balanced diet.

In a food plate, as recommended by the Ministry of Health, half of the plate is filled with vegetables and fruit, a quarter of the plate is filled with carbohydrates (choose complex ones such as rice, cereals, potatoes, whole wheat bread), then the other quarter is filled with protein, both animal and vegetable.

Meanwhile, the daily intake of salt, sugar, and oil is adjusted to the recommendations of the Ministry of Health, namely 4 tablespoons of squeezed sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 5 tablespoons of oil.

"People who follow a healthy diet must adhere to a balanced diet. In balanced nutrition, it doesn't only contain vegetables and fruit, they don't eat carbohydrates, fat, and sugar", said Ida.

While people with orthorexia usually avoid sources of carbohydrates, animal protein, and spices such as salt and sugar, to fats that can lead to health problems, one of which is malnutrition.

They can avoid consuming milk when in fact the ingredients of this drink contain nutrients such as calcium minerals or are reluctant to eat meat which can actually raise the risk of anemia.

As a result of avoiding important sources of nutrition, people with orthorexia can also be at risk for mood disorders, drastic weight loss, and experience many disorders, one of which is the skin due to extreme food restrictions.

They can also experience behavioral disorders due to compulsive behavior, have social relationship problems, and have an excessive perception of a healthy diet that is actually not natural.

"For those with orthorexia, all spices, carbohydrates are a scourge to fear, seeing animal protein does not eat because it is considered to contain high cholesterol, synonymous with unhealthy. So the concept of a healthy diet must be corrected", said Ida.

According to Ida, orthorexia can be treated through treatment from clinical nutrition doctors and psychiatrists. Later they will be given information about the perception of healthy food, such as what the right and balanced nutrition are to get a healthy body.

In her treatment, people with orthorexia are also recommended to do a lot of relaxation so they don't become tense and lead to stress when they are not in a state of not finding healthy food according to his version, to behavior modification, for example through cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapy.

"You have to consult a psychiatrist, maybe you need additional medication", Ida suggested.