"The essential question to ask yourself is: am I better?" "As an athlete, I always take care of my diet and my sleep, explains Laurent, 59, who runs and swims regularly. Over the years, I have monitored the labels more and more closely with their cohort of sugars and saturated fatty acids. My wife tells me that going to the supermarket with me becomes painful because I read all this information in detail."
A legitimate concern Like Laurent, many French people want to eat healthy. "It became common after the food scandals of the 1990s and 2000s, such as mad cow disease, listeriosis, industrial lasagna, recalls Karen Demange, a clinical psychologist specializing in eating disorders. Many people began to be careful about food that could cause poisoning. At the same time, a movement around well-being is developing. These two phenomena combined have led to a desire to eat healthy."
What was a request of a small part of the rich class, especially with the desire to eat organic, continues to extend to the wider public. The foods are mainly in the viewer: gluten, lactose, sugar and meat. Reducing their consumption often results in a sense of well-being. But be careful not to fall into orthorexia Consisting of the Greek ortho (righteousness) and orexia (appetite), this word designates an obsession with food considered healthy. This pathology affects 2 to 3% of the population and continues to increase. "Twenty years ago, this was not a subject raised by patients, notes Karen Demange. But in the last seven or eight years, I have seen more and more people in my office who no longer know what to eat. Dismissals lead to restrictions and food phobia. They are afraid of having to eat dishes whose origin or composition they do not know. Therefore, they no longer go to restaurants, they isolate themselves socially." Orthorexia is an addiction that is even more insidious because it is valued by society. Having the goal of improving their health and increasing their life expectancy is well received. Orthorexia can occur at any age, during adolescence or retirement with anxiety "take charge". The signs that should warn It is first of all a promise not kept by this concern to eat healthy, with the desire for better. "If we eliminate a food category or several for our health, the essential question to ask is: are they better? , underlines Karen Demange. This is not the case when eating becomes a nuisance and anxiety, sometimes associated with sleep problems." Physical health can be affected if restrictions lead to deficiencies and reduced energy. Read more> My husband constantly has a new obsession Another sign of a change: losing sight of the pleasure of eating. "Instead of talking about sharing, flavor, indulgence, we talk about health, blood values, calories or triglycerides.", the eating disorder specialist continues. Then we have to make sure to return to a calmer and more… gourmet relationship with food!
