Its results suggest that the healthy eating community on Instagram in particular shares a high level of orthorexia symptoms, with greater Instagram use being linked to increased symptoms. The team led by Dr Carmen Lefevre, a research associate at University College London (UCL), said their results may also have clinical implications for eating disorder development and recovery.
So, ask yourself – do you get more pleasure from posting a photograph of beautifully presented food than you do from eating it? Would you be as interested in eating this way if you didn’t get rewarding affirmations from strangers on social media backing your food choices?
It’s interesting to note that many progress from one form of limitation (e.g. gluten-free foods despite no specific medical problem with gluten) to another (water-only days) to find the emotional satisfaction they crave. Too little it seems can never be enough.
Neither end of the spectrum brings about a feeling of being OK long term. Denial is coming from that Parental voice in your head; the overindulgence is you at your most Child-like. Neither is you making food choices as an Adult having taken into account all the information available.
Age-appropriate diet
Like it or not, our metabolism slows down as we age and most of us need gradually fewer calories to maintain the same weight or size. Yet it can be very difficult to see that gentle change happening until we wake up one morning and that favourite pair of jeans or work shirt simply won’t do up.
You may feel 18 on the inside but if you are 55 in reality, your body will have very different nutritional needs. Part of establishing healthy self-boundaries around your diet means being realistic about portion sizes and types of food.
If you grew up helping on your parents’ farm, you may struggle to lose the mindset that you need constant fuelling. Likewise, the 24-year-old junior account executive, who no longer plays sport as she did at school or university, will have to reconsider whether she needs high-carbohydrate meals to fuel her eight-hour shift sitting down. Ask yourself – and make a note in your Learning Journal – am I eating for my present lifestyle or one from my past?
What does an Adult relationship with food feel/sound like for you?
‘I don’t worry about what I eat; overall, I’m confident my diet is balanced.’
‘Sharing meals with friends is a pleasure.’
‘I know what is healthy and make sure I eat enough of that.’
‘I feel OK with how I look.’
‘One biscuit doesn’t equal a downfall.’
‘I never punish or comfort myself with food.’
‘I don’t fight or ignore hunger – I take it as something to be attended to.’
‘Food is essential fuel, but it can be fun too.’
Having healthy self-boundaries around food means adopting this balanced attitude or approach. Humans need to eat, so denial is just as inappropriate as over-indulgence. Turn to your Learning Journal and make a note of what self-boundaries you are going to put in place regarding your eating habits.
Here, we’re going to tackle the not-necessary habits which many people accumulate and find hard to shift – from alcohol, cigarettes and prescription and non-prescription drugs to online porn.
We drink, don’t we? Champagne to celebrate, Prosecco to mark the end of the week, a glass of rosé on the first night of summer, G&Ts in the interval at the theatre: somewhere during the 1980s drinking regularly, perhaps at home, and even alone, became acceptable for women and men in a way previously unknown.
Some of us smoke – fewer than in the past, you might think. Yet one in five Britons is still a smoker, according to the Health & Social Care Information Centre.
There are also increasing issues with over-the counter (OTC) drugs containing codeine or non-prescription sleeping tablets. One in three people aged between 18 and 24 now take OTC pills once every 24 hours, according to a report by OnePoll – often at the slightest hint of pain, research reveals. And let’s not forget those taking legal highs, illegal drugs such as cocaine or cannabis, or habitually viewing pornography online. They may describe this as recreational behaviour – but what an odd word to use about something that is potentially dangerous.
As with the healthy guidelines around food, you would really need to be living on a remote island with no Wi-Fi to not know that smoking has been linked to numerous serious illnesses, that codeine dependency is a real concern for GPs and what the healthy levels are for alcohol consumption. Indeed, the latest guidelines from the chief medical officer for England recommend abstaining from alcohol for at least two days a week and stress that there is no ‘safe’ alcohol intake and even drinking small amounts could contribute to diseases such as cancer.
So, the facts are there: on the radio, in magazines, on TV and on the Internet – but even so, are you like the ‘three wise monkeys’ when it comes to your unhealthy habits? See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil: just get the bottle open.
We’d encourage you at this point to think about whether you feel in thrall to a habit (be it a tranquiliser or a joint) and no longer in control of this situation.
EXERCISE: The Pasta Jar
What was your reaction to this section? Did you think – ‘this is nothing to do with me, I have no bad habits’? Or perhaps, ‘people always worry too much about me drinking/smoking, but I am totally in control’? Or maybe you wondered if you rely on your habits too much and are afraid to examine them more closely?
Take a bag of dried pasta and a large clear glass jar or vase. Every time you indulge your habit – have a glass of wine/cigarette/painkiller, for example – you are going to place one pasta piece in the container. But here’s the twist, we also want you to place a piece of pasta in the jar every time you think about your habit as well.
Be as honest as you can. Every morning when you wake up, take a picture of the jar on your phone so you can compare them at the end of the week. You may be surprised which day saw the most pasta placed in the jar. Think through the day and note down in your Learning Journal what you believe happened that triggered the urge to turn to your habit.
At the end of one week, congratulate yourself on completing the exercise. Now take a look at your jar (or jars). What is your response to the final jar? Are you surprised?
It might be that you have less of a problem than you thought. Is there cause for worry, or does it feel as if you have been ‘good’? Have you been completely honest with your pasta jar?
This is the start of you gaining a clearer understanding of what’s going on. Don’t be self-critical at this point; be kind to yourself. This is about arming yourself with information you can use to help draw a new healthy self-boundary.
BRING IN THE BOUNDARIES:
Your Unhealthy Habit Plan
Picture yourself at your debating table. In the middle of the table is your habit of choice. In this example, we’ll refer to a bottle of wine but you know the item that would be there for you. Now, cast your eye around the table. What is the reaction from your different selves to this item? Make a note of this in your Learning Journal and really consider the thoughts and feelings that go with that.
Let’s picture a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc on the table. A controlling parental voice might be saying, ‘What’s