It starts with an innocuous decision to avoid unhealthy or impure food. Soon, you find yourself obsessing over portion sizes, reading labels like a mystery novel, scrutinising ingredients, scheduling meal preps, and giving up meat and dairy in pursuit of “clean eating”. What begins as mindful eating quickly spirals into an unhealthy fixation with purity and control.
When Akash Singh joined a gym to lose weight and get fit, he became increasingly conscious of what was on his plate. Loading up on protein and sourcing only ‘pure’ food soon became a serious business. Before long, the 32-year-old IT professional found himself anxious about every meal. “I became extremely conscious of my diet. I would spend hours preparing meals and endlessly scroll through Instagram trying to figure out what was actually healthy and how food was being sourced,” he says.
This obsession with eating healthy soon began affecting Singh’s mental wellbeing. He grew increasingly anxious about food, sceptical of ingredients, and started severely restricting his diet. His condition came to light only after his parents took him for counselling for generalised anxiety disorder. The sessions revealed something unexpected—Singh was suffering from Orthorexia Nervosa (ON).
“ON is an excessive obsession with particular food habits that can lead to severe dietary deficiencies, social isolation, guilt, and anxiety in order to maintain a strict diet.”Dr Vasanth R, psychiatrist
Psychiatrists say they are seeing a growing number of Orthorexia Nervosa cases, especially among people already dealing with anxiety disorders or Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD). “Due to the overload of health content on our feeds, there is widespread fearmongering around certain foods. The dieting fad has increased tremendously. But ON goes beyond normal dieting. It is an excessive obsession with particular food habits that can lead to severe dietary deficiencies, social isolation, guilt, and anxiety in order to maintain a strict diet,” says Dr Vasanth R, a psychiatrist from Chennai.
Although it is not yet formally recognised in standard diagnostic manuals such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), mental health professionals say its prevalence is steadily increasing, particularly among health-conscious youth. Derived from the Greek words orthos (correct) and orexis (appetite), the term “Orthorexia Nervosa” was first introduced in 1997 by physician Dr Steven Bratman, who observed patients developing an unhealthy obsession with consuming only ‘clean’ or ‘pure’ foods.
Unlike eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, which are often linked to body image and weight concerns, ON is rooted in a psychological fixation on food quality and dietary purity, making it much harder to identify. “People with ON usually have co-existing obsessive compulsions or anxiety disorders. During treatment, we focus on addressing their distorted perceptions around food and diet,” explains Dr Rajiv Mehta, psychiatrist, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi.
Psychiatrists also point out that bullying, body image issues, or serious health concerns—either personal or involving someone close—can trigger Orthorexia Nervosa. Ironically, because healthy eating is generally viewed positively, the warning signs often go unnoticed.
“People with ON usually have co-existing OCDs or anxiety disorders. During treatment, we focus on addressing their distorted perceptions around food.”Dr Rajiv Mehta, psychiatrist
For instance, Khushi Jain, a wellness influencer who now speaks openly about eating disorders, developed multiple eating disorders, including ON, after facing bullying over weight gain while aspiring to become a model. The 25-year-old professional swimmer had always been conventionally lean, but sudden weight gain and constant comments about her appearance pushed her toward extreme dietary restriction. “It began with simply watching what I ate —cutting down calories. At times, I survived on just an apple or skipped meals entirely. I stopped hanging out with friends because I wanted to avoid eating out or consuming anything unhealthy,” she recalls.
Jain was eventually diagnosed with multiple eating disorders, including ON. “I did not just lose weight—I lost my peace of mind in the process,” she says. Fortunately, counselling and strong family support helped her recover. Today, Jain uses her platform and an NGO, Defeating Disorders, to raise awareness about eating disorders and mental health.
Experts say diagnosis remains one of the biggest challenges with ON. “When counselling patients, we examine their behavioural history carefully. It is often seen among people with anxiety, OCD, or even fitness enthusiasts. Sometimes, we also speak to family members to understand patterns better,” says psychologist Aditi Govitrikar.
The treatment usually involves Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), nutritional counselling, and, in severe cases involving nutritional deficiencies, medication.
At its core, ON is not really about healthy eating. It is about the anxiety, fear, and need for control that quietly attach themselves to food. The line between discipline and disorder can become dangerously blurred—and by the time it is noticed, health may no longer be the outcome at all.