i jsut saw the piece on the today show about being obsessed with healthy eating. This happened to my son when he was 15 and it is very dangerous. He almost starved to death and became extrememly aenemic. My husband was diagnosed with diabetes like the rest of his family and my son decided to get control. He became totally obsessed with whatever was "good". He was running 10 or more miles a day and ate no red meat, etc. He withdrew from his friends, lost so much weight he looked like a cancer patient. When the dr finally sent him to the hemotologist, he was told that he HAD to have 3500-4000 calories a day to survive. He started looking for healthy but calorie rich food. After he started getting enough calories he begoan to snap out of it and lighten up. He also finally went into puberty. That hadnt happened either because of mal nutrition. It was very scary but he is a healthy college student today that eats anything. Just a warning this can really be dangerous.

My 15 yr old daughter started out as a vegetarian and became obsessed with healthy eating. She is now anorexic, meeting with a dietician, therapist, (and psychiatrist)on a weekly basis and is still losing weight. PLEASE recommend a good facility in the US for these disorders as I suspect she will be referred for inpatient treatment this week. I called Remuda Ranch in AZ and it's 80K per month. I am a widow living on social security since her father died 9 years ago.

I find this topic incredibly interesting. I work at a "health" food store and I find customers on a daily basis whom are obsessed with this healthy eating lifestyle. There are people that limit their diets so much that I believe some of them are probably afraid to consume ice because of the hypothetical health complications. I think that the media has a lot to do with this obsession. People hear a report on how a person has a sensitivity to wheat and they feel the need to exploit all the negative impacts wheat can have. I believe that if we were to highlight the positive aspects of these "unhealthy" foods, people might start seeing the whole picture. I think we are a paranoid society when someone can write a book about the danger of carbohydrates and a nation stops consuming this essential part of life. We are a nation of unhealthy people as well. When fast food is an easier and better option than creating a nutritious meal at home, we're in trouble.

Is this serious? Do you honestly think that Americans have a problem with too much healthy eating? We are the second fattest country in the world, with absolutely apalling eating habits, and some meal planning and eliminating of food groups could do a world of good for millions of people.

There is a HUGE difference between anorexia/bulimia and "healthy eating." Healthy eaters tend to at least educate themselves on health concerns and are likely to take supplements to make up for any possible nutrient deficiencies.

Einstein said that no action would better benefit the human race than switching to a vegetarian diet--cutting out meat (a "whole food group") would eliminate twice as much fossil fuel emissions as if everyone in the world gave up Americans to be protein deficient. And a huge percentage of the population is wheat and/or dairy intolerant and doesn't even know it, so giving up wheat or dairy could be beneficial to millions as well.

This story didn't seem to be researched at all. Read a book.

I just saw your segment on the "Today" show, and I find it highly offensive that you are waging a war against vegetarians, vegans, microbiotics, and raw food people. Do you have any idea of the environmental impact that meat has on our planet? Do you have any idea what kind of hormones and chemicals people ingest on a daily basis when they eat meat and dairy that's not organic? I would agree that uneducated vegetarians who aren't careful about supplementing or making sure they get enough protein and calcium are eating dangerously. However, for those of us who eat a wide variety of foods are eating healthier than 90 percent of this nation that overindulges on potato chips, pizza, and burgers without eating a leafy green in a span of a month. How dare you demonize us as having some kind of behavioral problem that needs medical attention. Do you think the entire nation of India has an eating problem? Because they've been vegetarian for hundreds of years. Let's see your claims in the NEJM. Stick to the facts, lady.

I'm so angry!!! It seems that it won't help Americans to adopt a healthier diet! While you were talking on NBC with this nutritionist it sounds to me, that according to you being obsessed with healthy diet is dangerous and close to mental illness. Let me tell you something.. if Americans start to eat more vegetables, fruits, grains, cereals and legumes, they will seriously start to loose weight, be healthier and live longer.
The nutritionist was saying we lack of essential nutriments if we only eat the foods I just listed? Well, from an "expert", it upsets me a lot!!
Calcium.... well, the calcium richest food is not milk for your information but parsley! Beans and soy are rich in Protein. Fruits, vegetables, cereals like oats are rich in fiber which is good for your digestion (very important a good digestion, isn't it?)
I'm myself very careful with what I eat and am vegetarian. I feel at my best when I make healthy eating choices. I indulge myself with sweets or cakes sometimes, and I don't freak out about it!

It swallowed half my post-- giving up meat would eliminate mare fossil fuels than giving up cars.

There are hundreds of research studies that suggest things like veganism, vegetarianism, and raw food diets are incredibly good for you if you know which foods to eat and take a few supplements as insurance.

I'm sorry for the people who have children that are obsessed with food and eating--this is an eating disorder. Anorexia. This is NOT the same as a preoccupation with healthy eating.

I had this problem recently. It starts out as a healthy diet and then you slowly cut back on food until you're barely eating anything. I have to take multivitamins with iron now and my mom is constantly after me. I'm better now and I'm so glad my mom took me to the doctor's before it became a a serious eating disorder. There is a huge differences between eating healthier and not eating enough.

My 17 yr old daughter has been dealing with this condition,"orthorexia" for the past 6 months. She has lost 8 lbs. and most of her muscle mass. She is obsess with eating healthy. She eats all meals but she has not been taking in enough calories, protein, or vitamins. It is a real condition.

to finish my comment...
Making healthy choices is not only good for your health but also for the environment. Everything is related. Remember we live in an ECOSYSTEM.
The intensive animal factory farming is part responsible for the global warming.
Their meat contains antibiotics and is from abused, tortured and depressed animals...

Who said that eating meat is essential to live??
Well, do you know those athletes that beat world records and are VEGAN??? Carl Lewis, have you heard about him?
Well, when I hear on the news about the link between cardio-vascular diseases and obesity, that concerns more and more children, I am happy about the smart choices I make on a daily basis about my plate.

The key word is obsession.
Being a vegetarian is not unhealthy.
Obsessing over what you will or will not eat is. And it can become a mental disorder. It is happening out there. Perhaps not to those who left comments, but it is very real.

I missed the segment, but as both a psychologist and a nutritionist, I understand the problem. Yes, vegetarian diets are healthy, but many people think that they know how to be one, but are mistaken. Additionally like everything, there is a degree of extreme and I have seen this in my practice as well. Those of you who have sought consultation from experts and are indeed following a healthier track vegan or not the show may not have been directed at you. Additionally, bear in mind that the field of nutrition is ever changing. What used to be considered healthy is no longer. Also, our food supply varies in quality and our lifestyles have also shifted requiring different dietary needs. The most important issue is that there is no one diet that works for everyone, so professional consultation is an absolute requirement to assure making the right choice.
Dr. Sooz

While watching your segment today I thought of my daughter. She shows all the six signs mentioned. It worries me but she is all grown and lives on her own. I feel that healthy eating is great and I try to eat healthy too. What worries me is when healthy eating affects the individuals whole life in a negative way. Anything to an extreme cannot be healthy for anyone. My daughter and I have read many books on healthy eating and have taken nutrition courses but it seems we take away different views. She goes into extremes to become healthy and she obsessed with her body not looking good enough. She is a beautiful young woman that turns heads wherever she goes.

That is my point. Anything that is all consuming (pardon the pun) is not good or healthy from a psychological perspective

The point that the "healthy eaters" are missing is the word "Obsession". It's the obsession with your eating and how consumed you become with your food that is the problem. Good for being a vegan, vegetarian, raw food eater as long as doing so hasn't caused you to withdraw from society and consume your thought process. I have a friend who eats raw and it has taken over her life. Her kitchen looks like a laboratory. She has become a loner and recluse because of her diet. She shops for her raw food, takes it with her where ever she goes and if she isn't eating it, she is preparing it. She has become "obsessed" with her food and as her friend I can see how she has changed. Again, eat healthy but I believe that the obsession as listed above is what is causing the problem. She does all 6 of the listed items. An obsession with any part of our lives that takes over our thought process isn't good for us......even if it's the most healthy diet going. Some of you may have missed that point.

This segment was devastating and will serve as an excuse for people who are killing themselves nutritionally through overindulgence and nondiscrimate eating. Most of what is consumed in this country is not food at all but enticing looking chemical conconctions. I would strongly advise you to present a rebuttal in order to maintain your journalism standards. This one was so biased!

Dear Dr Fernstrom
Can't have a piece of cake? CHOOSE not eat dairy? GET SOME HELP? What if you were sick and had no energy - no minerals and no iron and through blood tests found to be lactose and gluten intolerant and when you started eating this way (challenging as it is) you felt bette r- your minerals and iron and energy and life force returned. Are you suggesting I just run over to a party and eat some cake so I don't have a problem of food obsession.? Walk a mile in my shoes - feel how I feel when I eat that - see what it does to my health - to my blood - THEN I dare you to CHIDE ME for picky eating - Walk in my shoes - your segment was demeaning and condescending and ill informed - My doctor should call you and explain what her medical advice was to me and why i feel so much better! Would love to talk to you about it - please contact me! SUSIE

omg...that is totally me. i went from ovopescilactose to vegan to organic, to raw eating to vitamin junkie to taking enzymes for every food type.

i realize i lost not only my enjoyment of food but of life itself. i had nothing to look forward to even when i had vacations planned, my daughters talent show and a 50's party to go to in the same month. how can food affect us so deeply? info please!

thanks!!!

I was sooo relieved to listen to this segment! I have neighbors and relatives who are raising small children with all kinds of restrictions on their foods. One has become some kind of alternative health practitioner.

I have been saying for years that there are control issues here and other unresolved psychological issues that they are trying to gain some control over through food. Finally, I hear some support from the medical/health community. Thank you!

I just saw this segment and I can totally identify with this... I have been obsessed with healthy eating for the past 6 years. What started out as a diet to lose pregnancy weight after my first child ended up as vegan (I don't believe this is bad in and of itself, by the way), then gluten free, then raw, then fruitarian, interspersed with periods of fasting and colon cleansing. I couldn't go anywhere without bringing my own food, I alienated family and friends, I felt like a failure if I ever ate bad foods or didn't exercise. Eventually I stopped having my period, and was unable to get pregnant when we decided to have a second child. I worked really hard to overcome my obsession, and after 1 1/2 years was able to get pregnant. Now that my daughter is 6 weeks old and I'm trying to lose the rest of the weight I feel myself slipping into this again, and today's segment woke me up to it. Thank you so much!

Again, as Linda and Suzq pointed out, the key to this segment wasn't to slam healthy eating, but rather point out that on occasion a person can become overly obsessed with healthy eating to the point that it begins to become a life-interfering behavior, effecting friendships, relationships, work, and even health. I totally support healthy eating, vegetarians, vegans, raw diets, those with diet restrictions due to medical conditions, and whatever else. I also have a friend who won't go to an italian restaurant with the rest of us because she might eat a carb. Those of you who feel chided and defensive might want to re-examine the point of this segment...it's certainly not slamming healthy eating or diets that are strict due to a medical condition. Remember, the key word here is OBSESSION. (and anyone who uses this type of segment as an excuse to go to McDonald's would have found that excuse with or without watching this piece...let's be honest with ourselves)

I'm currently dealing with this problem and it's just getting worse. In the past few years I've cut out specific food groups and only eat a handful of foods. It truly is an obsession because all day I wonder what I'm going to eat and how healthy it is (even though food ever sounds good to me). I've become anemic & am always tired & my family is on my case all the time about how much weight I've lost and how I don't eat anything but at the same time, I have strangers telling me how thin and healthy I look. Just as an example of how anal I am about food; When I eat chicken (which is 2 times a month for protein) It has to be burnt (yes burnt) then someone else has to cut it into tiny pieces and even then I will only eat the smallest of those pieces. If someone talks about chicken (or animals), I have to quit eating it because it makes me nauseas. That is just one of the many issues I deal with when it comes to food and I deal with these issues daily. So this condition is a real condition.

I think the vegan community is taking this the wrong way. Perhaps we are too sensitive from constantly being told it is unhealthy! (which couldn't be farther from the truth) But for those of you who are angry about the segment, you obviously do not have the problem with 'disordered eating' or you would have realized that obssesing over healthy eating is a real problem. I don't think they were suggesting that being a vegan is wrong. I think about my food 24 hours a day, and when I stray from my self imposed rules I binge until I can't get up off the floor due to the guilt I feel. I am very relieved that I saw this segment and know that there are others out there that suffer from this as well. I will always continue to be a vegan, However, I wish I could just enjoy the wholesome food without all the stress and anxiety that I feel about it. It completely takes over my life. And when everyone tells me how they wish they had my self-control, I know the truth; I am a slave to it.

Linda and others who offended by this: This is not an attack on your lifestyle. This addresses a real situation that is as difficult to manage as yours. My jaw dropped when I saw this report on the Today show, because this has happened to our child who is otherwise well-adjusted and normal. It's heartbreaking to see your child get to a point where they are obsessed with body weight and look like they have been nearly starved. It's not anorexia; he eats..but cycles through periods of guilt and normalcy. He examines the labels on everything we buy at the market, looking for fat and carb content. He's obsessed with exercise and if he misses a day it depresses him. Beyond being dangerous to his health (we have taken him to see a physician numerous times) it's stressful on family activities and I just want him to have a normal, balanced teen life.

The timing of this segment is very interesting as I just got back from a week long trip with a very good friend of mine from college who is sufferig from this. We have a lot in common, because we both love exercise and swapping healthy eating ideas. But after this trip I realize how obsessed she has become. As a friend, it is so sad to see her dwindle away like this. I'm not sure how/if I can help her. She has struggled with anorexia in the past and now justifies herself with this "heatlthy eating". Her thought processes are too consumed with what she is going to eat and when she will get her exercise. She has been too skinny for too long, and expends most of her energy during her morning work-outs. There is absolutely no capasity left, physically or mentally, to enjoy life. She is married and has children which makes the situation even more sad. If she keeps this up, she won't be with us much longer.

This is a severe problem. I wanted to illustrate my experience to those of you who don't understand.

I would like to address this to Barbara Carter. My daughter is 15 and in a facility in Pittsburgh, PA, Pittsburgh Childrens Hospital sent her there after her doctor requested an EKG and it came back abnormal. We would have never known that her heart was in jeopardy if it wasn't done. She ate healthy and wanted to be this great athlete on top of that. The two don't mix well. She is in with others that have anorexia, even though her case is different than those with her. The bottom line is her body is in the same shape even though she doesn't think she is fat or that was her intention to be thin. She didn't put enough in that she was putting out. After two weeks she is finally gaining weight, thank God. It is a long process and were trying to keep her spirits up. She has a team that talks to her and makes sure she is getting what she needs. We hated to leave her there and it was hard, but the other alternative was to wait until it might be too late. I hope you find this helpful. This is dangerous and real!

I am a sophomore in college and I'm living away from home. I just woke up and saw this segment of your show and I'm scared. I thought that I was being healthy, but I find myself planning my heals for the day and counting the calories and trying to keep my daily intake under 1,000 calories. What kind of vitamins should I be taking to keep my diet balanced? If I do decide that I need help, where would I go and what would I need to do?

I recently graduated from a program that specialized in eating disorders and other life threatening issues. It is a residental program for young women up to 28 i think. I went stuggling now i am set free, and food does not hold any power over me. I have seen many of my friends that had graduated from Remuda then needed a place to go longer than 45 days. MERCY MINISTRIES is a 6 month program. There are homes all over the US, more opening. There is no cost for the girl. I hope you find hope in this. I am going to post a link to the website, and Mercy Ministries was on the JOYCE MEYER tv show. CHECK IT OUT: Hope this helps.. I will be praying that whoever needs help will find healing they need at Mercy Ministries.

Check out Mercyministries.com For over 25 years, Mercy Ministries of America has provided hope and healing to generations of desperate young women who are seeking freedom from life-controlling problems such as:

Our free-of-charge program serves a diverse population of young women from various soci

^Kat--it's ok to be scared. As someone in recovery for eating disorder, I know that fear--the fear of eating something "wrong", of over consumption, of anything and everything food related. You don't have to do this to yourself. You said you're in school--go to counseling services, go to the doctor--you can also most likely see a nutritionist for free through school. I belong to an internet recovery forum that's been really helpful for me. If you want peer help and support if you think you might have an eating disorder or feel uncontrolled in your food obsessions you should check us out: webiteback.com

perhaps you presented your article in the wrong way because you singled out the vegan lifestyle and you said leaving out whole food groups, such as dairy was unhealthy.
Well, the times are changing, heath concepts are changing.
did you know that the dairy companies pay for adds and for people to say that milk is healthy?
Please do the research, because this is not true. Why do we drink the lactation of an animal that is meant for a baby cow to grow from 90lb to 2,000 lb in two years. It is not meant for human consumption.
Not to mention that milk contains growth hormones, pesticides, steroids, antibiotics, blood and pus.
the commercial industry is disgusting and people are feeding their kids chemicals for breakfast and America is wondering why obesity and cancer rates are rising.
You can get the same amount of calcium from eating some: collard greens, fortified grains, kale, cabbage, kelp, seaweed, watercress, chickpeas, broccoli, red beans, soybeans, tofu, and seed

Dairy products also contains dioxin, one of the most toxic substances in the world.

This is me. The thing I found disappointing with this segment is that they didn't offer a "solution"; she just said in the last 2 seconds "go get professional help." Well, that's what they all say. I have no idea who to go to or what sort of help to ask for. I hate how food controls my life. I plan out my meals a day in advance and if my plan gets interrupted, my day is just thrown off and so is my mood. I hate myself when I end up indulging in something and I feel that I can't eat the rest of the day or I have to go work out for an hour. Food is the only thing I feel that I can control and when I lose control of it, I am at a loss. I am constantly tired and weak and I know it's because I am not taking in all of the things I need. So for those of you who are in a rage against this segment, it's because you aren't one of us and don't understand it. Obsessed healthy eating is more than being a vegan or raw eater; it's a lifestyle that affects you r mental health and can leave you feeling angry and out of control.

If people spent a quarter as much on their body as on their cars, we'd all have healthier bodies.

* Our bodies have to carry us around 24 hours a day for 70 years.

* Our cars we use for (at most a few hours a day) for a few years.

When our cars get terminally sick, we dump them and buy new cars. When our bodies get terminally sick, it is time to buy a coffin, or explore the promise of cryogenics.

The REAL PROBLEMS are:

-The IMAGES that the MEDIA show us about what a female MUST look like : a zombie-freak-size0-pale-bony-flat-woman.

- The millions DIETS that are sold over the internet, in books, on TV and magazines.

-The JOURNALISTS on NBC NEWS that give you some eating tips to become a SKINNY bitch!

I am very upset about what I see and hear everyday about diets!

There is no miracle diet.
You wanna loose weight, well.... just get off your car, leave your couch and move your ass!

Don't count your calories, stop eating before you get full. Drink enough water, or tea (excellent for you). Eat a bit of everything but privilege veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts, cereals, olive oil and MOVE YOUR ASS!!!!
GOD DAMMIT!

I know all too well about food obsessing,I think about what to eat 24/7...Get angry when I mess up and get nervous if I go over 800 calories a day ..This is a real problem...

Very ill-informed woman. This woman shouldn't be a Doctor with her educational deficiencies. Any medical practitioner who recommends dairy doesn't understand basic biology. Why should we continue to consume dairy past infancy? There is not reason, and it is in fact harmful. Eggs are loaded with cholesterol and fat. Meat is destroying our planet and making people obese. Yet she says to eliminate these food groups is harmful? She needs to ask for her money back from her medical school.

Conservative estimates indicate that after puberty, between 5-10 million females and 1 million males struggle with eating disorders.
Virtually anyone can develop an eating disorder- people of all ages, from all walks of life, and all ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders in Arizona, offers a complete continuum of care from inpatient hospitalization, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs and outpatient services.

Rosewood is fully accredited by Joint Commission and licensed by the State of Arizona. Rosewood is one of the few non-hospital based programs that accepts insurance as payment for treatment.

Please visit www.RosewoodRanch.com for more information or call 1-800-845-2211.
We Can Help

It's sad that in this day and age, there are people with medical degrees that are advising that people to eat decomposing animal carcasses and processed foods. I am overcoming an eating disorder called OVEREATING and am making great strides when it comes to planning out my meals, limiting my dairy (full of antibiotics and bad fat) and eliminating meat from my diet. I have never felt better! I am able to exercise longer, have energy throughout the day, and best of all, I don't feel like crap an hour after I eat. It's insulting to hear that vegetarians and people that take an interest in their bodies are considered mentally unstable when people left and right are dying of cancers, heart attacks, eating disorders, and unhealthy lifestyles.

People need to stop listening to hack doctors on the Today show and do some research about the fuel they put in their body. Read labels- not for carbs or calories, but for INGREDIENTS. It all starts with the parents- mine didn't help me, so I had to do it on my own.

People that strictly eat the standard american diet which consists of meat, dairy, processed everything, chemical laden "foods" etc, have been brainwashed since childhood by special interest groups like the meat and dairy industries that it's the healthiest stuff on earth. It isn't. Eating that way for life will get you a one way ticket to the operating room for fun things such as double or triple bypass, quintuple bypass,and many other fun surgical procedures. ;) And they do not guarantee you will make it out alive, plus it will not prolong your life like you think.

The people that go to extremes and end up anorexic, bulimic,etc are not vegetarians, vegans or raw foodists.
People need to do their research and not let the media dictate how much you should weigh, what you should look like, how to dress,etc. If you feel like crap, maybe it's what you are eating!
Stick to whole foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables. They help you lose weight without losing your mind.

Veganism, vegetarianism and raw foodism are not eating disorders, nor do they lead to eating disorders. They are lifestyle choices, and healthy ones at that.

Oh Come on lady!

How can you define psychological obbsession and "diagnosis"? You do realize that MEAT is an addiction as well..right? First look up and understand TRUE addiction...not some pop psychological crap that is fed through mainstream media. Veganism is not an eating disorder..it is an expression on compassion and global understanding of the world around you as well as within yourself. All this is is one more "syndrome" for parents to panic about. Smacks of Meat Industry CRAP. Never mind meat is a major cause of Colorectal Cancer, PROSTATE CANCER, Bladder Cancer,and a wealth of gastro intestinal problems that can never be repaired...

I eat Cake...just not the crap that you eat.. I eat candy...just not the crap you eat...I drink "milk"....just not the pus filled ooze you drink...

PLEASE....sounds like the Meat and Dairy Industry paid you and paid you well....What is the going rate of selling out?

Addicts by definition are selfish.....selfish about everyone but their addiction..Vegans become Vegans to help the environment, help in global famine and saving other living beings on a daily basis....How is the selfish if I may ask?

I can tell you IT IS NOT..therefore does not fit the common definition of Addiction...

If you took any psychology you would know this...

It's curious to read how defensive the non-meat-eaters are reacting to this article. Eating meat has been part of our evolution and is a convenient way to gain the nutrients necessary for life without having to scavenge for a multitude of random foods and having to eat them in combination within a certain time span in order to get the same effect.

Ummmmm

If it is a part of"evolution" why is it the major cause of heart disease? Why is it the oldest person on record a Vegetarian? and Convenient nutirents? ummm you do realize it takes 16 lbs of grain for 1 lb of meat...how convenient is that? It sure as hell not economically sound....I would like to see you take down a deer, cow, or any large animal without weapons...you can't we are NOT designed for it.

You don't need meat to live, the only reason you eat it is it is "convenient"? Gee sounds selfish..like an addiction to me...horribly sad.

I love how meat eaters try to justify evolution or whatever on a COMPUTER...here is a clue..the Naturalistic Fallacy applies here with you cc. Quit using it, quit being a leech on the health care system....quite eating meat..it is unhealthy and causes heart disease....and it is on the rise.

A VERY REAL FACT.....
'
So quite lying..it is not the same effect....

When you live in a society where to a company you are not a person but a "consumer"- when you are being bombarded with study after study of things that are good/bad for and if you are a young self-conscious person how can it not get to you. Parents- it's your job to steer your kids away from consumerism and towards a healthy relationship with food
http://gunghogoo.blogspot.com/

I read the warning signs, and the scary thing is that I have all of them. I think about food all the time. I am on WW and even tried OA, but I am still in the same boat. I go to school and work part time 5 days a week as a home health care provider. By the time I get home, I am so tired, but still have to cook and clean my own house, when all I really want is something to eat, and it can be anything at all. I do not have a particular weakness--any food is fine with me. I love my junk food as well as freh fruits and veggies. To put this all into perspective, I started at 188 and am now 183 (on a small boned, 5'3" frame). It is not as easy as getting off my ass. When you are thinking about food ALL THE TIME, even if you got up and moved, it would still be there. I know there are no quick fixes to this, and going to therapy didn't help either, so if someone has ANY ideas, please let me know.

It's not "evolution" that led us to eat hormone and antibiotic laden processed meat. Evolution has nothing to do with factory farming of animals, in appalling conditions, where the animals in question have to be pumped full of chemicals just to make them fit for human consumption.

There's a mountain of evidence that with *minimal* care and attention paid to your diet, that vegetarian and vegan diets are perfectly healthy. This is the position of the American Dietetic Association, the American Medical Association, the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine and several other major medical professional organizations. They've done the science, and are making fact-based statements. Ms. Fernstrom, on the other hand...

Calling veganism an eating disorder is ridiculous.

Those of you getting huffy and defensive need to calm down. The segment in no way suggests that alternative diets like vegetarianism or veganism or even simply attempting to eat healthfully is an "eating disorder." If you actually listen to what the two women are saying, they indicate that there are people who become so fixated on their diets that it becomes unhealthy. There's a significant difference between a commitment to a healthy lifestyle and an obsession with food.

This piece was very lopsided and really only served to support the SAD (standard american diet) through the usual scare tactics we've come to expect from today's media. There's nothing obsessive or dangerous about choosing to avoid animal products (vegan) or taking advantage of the benefits of eating whole uncooked fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds. It doesn't mean that it has taken over your life simply because it takes a little more thought and preparation for an eating style that is totally different from what we've been brought up on - there is a learning curve to everything new. For starters, try researching your topic - "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell is a great reference, and a good beginning. There are fanatics in every philosophy, but they usually represent a very small fraction. You do a great disservice to the general public by presenting a topic with such an obviously negative slant, when there are numerous documentated positive case studies of the benefits of such eating habits.

I agree with a lot of what has been said before. People who become anorexic after becoming vegetarians or vegans were anorexic to start with, that is, they had an obsession that led them down that path. If a person uses a rope to hang themselves, that doesn't make the rope inherently bad. Being vegetarian, vegan or raw DOES NOT cause anorexia... that's just preposterous...

I found it interesting that Madelyn Fernstrom was wearing a seemingly nice leather jacket on when making her comments about how we obsess over food. Her recommendations indicate a bias againsst vegans. The code words are you aren't getting enough protien, calcium or B12. Madelyn, if you think real beef and milk is real food for real people, you better live real close to a real hospital.

The meat and dairy industries has caused more harm to human life than all of the wars and auto accidents combined.

We are the only animal species that drinnks the milk of another species and on top of that drinks that milk into adulthood. All other animals drink their mothers milk and is weened off of the milk as they grow up.

Madelyn, you need to read the writings of T. Colin Campbell and Dr. John McDougall, Joel Fuhrman, Dean Ornish, ...etc....then for a spiritual awakening try "The World Peace Diet" by Will Tuttle.

And please, be compassionate and non-violelnt towards all animals....lose that leather jacket....

Skip

Great post! Dieting can involve some scary stuff. Choosing to focus on how food tastes, how the texture feels, what the aroma is like, might help re-start an appreciation for food again. Feel free to stop by our blog if you'd like to see more about approaches to a healthy lifestyle without dieting!

Conservative estimates indicate that after puberty, between 5-10 million females and 1 million males struggle with eating disorders.
Virtually anyone can develop an eating disorder- people of all ages, from all walks of life, and all ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders in Arizona, offers a complete continuum of care from inpatient hospitalization, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs and outpatient services.

Rosewood is fully accredited by Joint Commission and licensed by the State of Arizona. Rosewood is one of the few non-hospital based programs that accepts insurance as payment for treatment.

Please visit www.RosewoodRanch.com for more information or call 1-800-845-2211.
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I am a nutritionist but not certified yet, still preparing.But I would like to emphasise is TRY TO EAT HEALTHY, may not be 100% but at least 50%, then 20% exercise and don't indulge into snacking unhealthy food, cut off soft-drinks.EAT more vegetables,fruits eg apples, kiwi, avoid grapes for diabetes. Eat more vegetables. Don't forget exercise, it helps alot to give us healty body, healthy heart. My opinion is if we try to maintain these basic, we will not be very bad shape.
TAKE CARE!

Our world evolves continuously, most of the time at a slow gradual pace. We have learned through our evolution that certain habits related to human food and specific foods are culprits to alot of our major health problems in our bodies, minds and on our earth. It is our children who see the need for change (evolution)much quicker than the slower evolvers, the older or more "set in their ways" sort. Our children see the need for change and are trying to change in a world ran by the unchangable. They recognize that there isnt too many healthy options on their plate. If as parents and a schooling society we continue to teach the slower evelutionaries what is good and what is no longer good and we start to purchase the healthy choices for our children, this obsessive behaviour we see and malnutrition will no longer be a problem, there will be choices instead of none and nutritional value instead of lack there of. Your child is lacking vitamins because there are none in Kraft Cheese Macaronni and Caesar Salad.

My parents own an organic food store. I have read up on the raw food diet, microbiotic diet, vegan and vegitarian diet, gluten and dairy free diet, and countless others. I am fully aware of the benefits of these diets--especially for our overweight U.S.

But that's not the issue being talked about, whether or not these are healthy is kind of a non-issue. Each of these specialized diets is unique, and each unique person should find the one that works best (and by "diet" I mean daily mealplan, a lifestyle change). What is being discussed is eating disorders, or eating disorder symtoms. I have been to an E.D. clinic, and I can say first hand that they are real. Very real.

I understand the frustration of thinking that they are saying healthy "diets" are dangerous and almost negative, which they are not. But when they cross the line and go too far, that is a definately problem. It is an indicator of a psychological problem. And it can be devistating and very, very painful.

i hav lakoriya prob and my darkcryclr is to much plz help me

Look, i'm a 17 year old girl and i've gone through every eating disorder you can imagine. I am also vegan.

This article isn't about slamming healthy eating, the point it is making is not about healthy eating but about the food philosophies that people employ wether consciously or subconsciously to cope with or act out a sense of control or other underlying psychological needs. it can be anything-it took me 3 years to realise that my issues with foods had stemmed from a chronic procrastination problem.

Compare this one article that some people might take offensse to because it has a tone of condemning vegans/etarians and others to the hundredds of articles pointing out how badly America eats. Often people use lifestyles like veganism etc. as a cover to avoid hassle and avoid certain foods.

It is just stressing the age old concept of 'moderation' that so many people disregard wether it be throguh food, or drugs, or other kinds of obsessions.

This is directed towards Bethanys first comment. I would just like to point out that North America is pretty much the fattest continent. I would also like to point out that North America is the biggest consumer of diet fads and gimmicks and of `healthy lifestyles` Am I the only one who finds this strange.Its pretty obvious that diets aren`t the key to a healthy lifestyle. Clearly whatever it is people are trying isn`t working. Move to europe or the mediterranean, maybe they can teach us a thing or two.

welllll i understand what ur trying to say in this article..
but how else are we girls supposed 2 stay skinny?
i mean the guys dont like fat chicks
so we gotta do w.e it takes 2 be gorgeous..
and eating alot and getting fat wont do the job..soooo
ya...

i think that you are all overreacting to something that has absolutely nothing to do with what your commenting on. the problem is the addiction / mental problems behind people that over obsess about food. those people that cant eat anything without thinking of what impact it will have and it what places. everyone should just relax a lil especially the vegans/ vegetarians... good night...

I can no longer feel at ease when am eating around my husband. no matter how small or how balance the diet or even if it is my only meal in 3days. He has damaged my confidence and has complainned so much about my weight that i fell so uncomfortable and many times he has threthened to leave me. my cloth size is 18 uk and i personally do not feel too big and friends thinks am ok but i can do well by dropping a bit to size 14 or 16. Recently i have tried all kind of weight loss management but to my surprise it is not working for instead it all affecting my health.

Abim why do you let your husband convince you that you are unhealthy and make you feel like youre not good enough? You are beautiful the way you are and you cant let him tell you otherwise. Love your curves and your normal womans body. Personally Im a pescatarian and ive lost 20 pounds since i began. I still eat healthy and i get all my protein from eggs and fish and beans, but I also feel a lot more confident. however i didnt do this for anyone else but myself. You ahve to do it for yourself.

Everyone sounds so angry at the piece on obsessed healthy eating. The point was allowing the food preoccupation to get out of control, causing poor choices and dangerous mistakes. Being obsessed with our diet isn't always bad. When I was NOT obsessed with my food, I wore a size 22. When I got tired of being a fatty and in pain all the time, I became obsessed with everything I eat, BUT make wise choices and control myself and now wear a size 8. I don't eat red meat nor a lot of breads, rice, pastas and seldom fried anything. If I do eat fried, it's 3 or 4 fries, not the whole container, I eat candy, just one, not the whole bag... I'm healthy without gluttony and without neglecting myself. I don't have asthma problems anymore, I seldom get sick anymore... I did this all by myself, no help from anyone. I feel guilty when I stray, but I always tell myself that tomorrow is a new day. And I have a picture of my old size 22 on the center of my fridge to look at every time I enter my kitchen. Works for me!

I definitely applaud those who are vegetarian, vegans and such. I am also one who, though not obsessed, watch what I eat. I believe it is all about what is right for you. Moderation is the key and as a Black female food has always been the center of family gatherings, and any other type of social gathering. So I've always had to struggle to maintain my size 10 figure that I am very proud of. I work out on a regular basis and Yes it does take me a little extra time to insure that I prepare a healthy meal for myself and my children, but I do not allow it to take over my life. Yeah I feel bad when I slip up, but hey, You have to treat yourself sometimes or you will be miserable. And there are healthier alternatives to the sweets you like to eat. I admit though that I do drink soy milk because of being lactose intolerant. I do not have quite enough self control yet to eliminate meat, but if I could I would love to go that route eventually. And to the comment by Ashley Wilson, are you for real? Grow up.

I agree with the majority of the points in this but I do believe that many of the people that have posted on this misunderstood the entire point of the segment. It was not meant to bash on vegans, vegetarians, what not. It is intended for those people that have completely devoted their life through an obsession of healthy eating. There is completely no such thing as too much healthy eating, indeed I believe that our nation would be one with less medical problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity if we all made better and healthier choices. The people that are being referred to in this segment are NOT those people; they are the people that take diets too far! There is a BIG difference between starving yourself because of an obsession with being healthy and eating healthy.

Many don't realize it, but this is a very real problem. I am absolutely obsessed with healthy eating and I am finally beginning to "let go" a little bit and not spend my day planning meals, tracking calories, or calculating macronutrient ratios.

People always commend my discipline, but it has gotten to the point where I am too obsessed and spend too much mental energy on eating. The stress caused by intensive meal planning and food obsession can and will eventually negate the health benefits of the healthy eating.

Being a healthy person has a lot to do with mental health, not just physical. Constand food obsession, whether it's healthy food or not, is not healthy!

I've actually found that fasting twice per week has helped me immensely. I've improved my relationship with food and during these two days I focus my efforts on other areas of my life -- not food. It's a controversial subject for some, but I can honestly say it has worked wonders for me and has for many others as well.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT.

"While the incidence of true eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia is very low..."

YOU KNOW WHAT? A STATEMENT LIKE THAT SUCKS A WHOLE LOT. HOW ABOUT SPREADING AWARENESS OF THESE RAPIDLY SPREADING, MURDEROUS DISEASES?

YOU CAN DIE OF THESE BEHAVIOURS AFTER AS LITTLE AS A COUPLE MONTHS. AND YOU BECOME DEPENDANT ON THEM

FIRST.

SEE A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IF YOU ARE CONCERNED YOUR BEHAVIOURS ARE CROSSING THE LINE.

visit www.webiteback.com if you want to bite the fuck BACK against your eating disorder!

This is hell. We live it. There is hope. We believe in it!

[sorry for the rage^^. but veganism is veganism.....raw foodism is raw foodism....but when these things are controlling you? and you don't believe in it.....you fear the alternative? when you look deeper and wonder if you're trying to erase yourSELF?]

To the gentleman that wondered - this ISN'T a joke. America is indeed the fattest nation on earth. That has to do with things like being addicted to High Fructose Corn Syrup, and the fact that the food the poor can afford is cheaply made and therefore made cheaply. and that collectively, American behaviours - sedentary lifestyles, dumb entertainment, consumerism, chronic dieting...not to mention disrespect for emotions leading to emotional eating - all lead to weight gain.
it DOESN'T have to do with the very real other demon of orthorexia, which is what happened to the lady in the first post - the name for what your 15 year old had is orthorexia. you become obsessed and control your intake wildly.

Eating disorders kill.

Stigma kills.

If you need help, get it.

I donnu why we should reach a point where we need to fuss about food so bad!!
everything is not good for the health when there is exess consumption. Even water isn't so good!
People who have a certain intolerance need to balance their diet, people who are vegetarians, take good care that you're getting all the nutrients you need!
Everyone else.. eat a little of everything.. don't overdose on the cakes, on the meat, or on the teas.. just eat a little of everyhting and exercise. You'll be, feel and look healthy without going to extremes. It's that simple and easy!!

every thing in moderation, that's the ticket, you don't have to be a fanatic about it!!!!

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Hi,

It is very hard now to be able to distinguish between what is healthy and what is unhealthy - right down to almost every decision we make, even our behaviour.

We have skinny figures monopolising the media, models, actors etc are far thinner than before. Whoever thought a walking rake would be attractive???? Marylin Monroe was hardly skinny and she still remains in the sexiest women polls.

Until we reject ultra skinny people as being the epitome of beauty and attractiveness, this issue will never go away. Just like the Dove soap/creams adverts for real beauty, we need another campaign regarding a healthy weight.

a real focus is needed to point out the dangers of going overboard with dieting and exercise.

My sister still is anorexic (bulemic) even after 2 kids - fortunately she was sensible enough to not put her pregnancy in danger, though she needed far more tests to verify she was healthy enough. However, her mentality hasn't changed much. I am worried for her kids' eating habits now.

This happened to me too when I was in my early 20s. I got teased in my first year out of college when I gained from 102 to 112 (I'm 5'2") - a guy at work said I looked like a pig. So I went to a so-called diet center where they told me I needed to eat 500 calories a day and get down to 95 pounds. I lost 20 pounds and became completely obsessed with food. My hair started falling out, I quit having periods, and I developed downy fur on my arms and legs - my body trying to keep itself warm. All the while, this being the 70s era of Cheryl Tiegs, I was told how "great" I looked. It took nearly 20 years of therapy to finally heal. I still consider myself a "recovering anorexic." This is a terrible disease and it is a very slippery slope. Thanks for writing about it.