By: Laura Germano
How Orthorexia Hides Behind Hashtags and “Healthy” Habits
It starts with a smoothie–
The berries separated into individually purchased ceramic bowls beside a Ninja blender. The exact right amount of everything. No excess. No guesswork.
Then comes a “What I Eat in a Day” video, detailed with time-stamps, brands, and macros. After that, a glowy-skinned content creator details how cutting out gluten cured her acne, made her hair grow, and eliminated her depression.
Few corners of the internet are as massive– and quietly influential– as the wellness space. Many fitness and wellness influencers frame their content as aspirational, empowering, and soothing. Even when that content is disordered or obsessive.
For the many who create these videos—and those who watch and absorb it—this fixation on “clean” eating can become a form of self-punishment: an insatiable obsession with doing everything the “right” way.
This is orthorexia—and social media helps it hide in plain sight.
What Is Orthorexia Nervosa?
Orthorexia is not healthy eating.
While a balanced diet can improve your physical and mental health, Orthorexia is a preoccupation with food quality, purity, and withholding that disrupts everyday life.
Though Orthorexia isn’t officially listed in the DSM, therapists and dietitians see it everywhere—especially among young adults and teens who’ve grown up immersed in the lives of wellness influencers, detox culture, and now (unfortunately) SkinnyTok— a colloquial name for the return of thinness admiration; the backlash of the Body Positivity Movement.
A Disorder in Disguise
Where once the mantra was “I want to be skinny at all costs,” the language has evolved into a more socially acceptable form of control: “I want to be healthy… at all costs.” Instead of obsessing over calorie counting, the focus has shifted to “low-cortisol diets” and “hormone-balancing foods.” Rather than crash diets, we see the rise of “75 Hard” and protein-heavy regimens (the modern alternative to the Keto Diet).
The words may have changed, but the underlying message has not: control your body at all costs.
Orthorexia thrives in this environment because it doesn’t always look disordered. In fact, it may appear admirable to others. So much so that individuals struggling with Orthorexia may not know they have it. They may feel proud of their habits, and disgusted by others who do not follow the same lifestyle.
But the anxiety is always lurking– the moment “bad” food is consumed or the schedule can’t be followed. The moment nourishing the body shifts from an act of care to a test of willpower, stripping away any sense of connection or joy.
Orthorexia May Also Look Like:
- Obsessions around “clean” vs. “dirty” food
- Avoiding social events or restaurants, or bringing your own meals to events
- Spending hours researching ingredients
- Cutting out food groups and feeling shame when indulging in them
- Detailed or controlling schedules around eating
Steps Toward Recovery
Orthorexia may not announce itself through visible distress. It often builds quietly, reinforced by praise, productivity, and carefully curated feeds. But identifying habits and untangling what’s truly nourishing from what’s fear-driven is a lauded first step toward recovery.
Recovery does not mean rejecting wellness, but reclaiming the meaning, restoring agency, and making space for nourishment without fear. Treatment may also include:
1. Professional Support
Therapists and dietitians who specialize in eating disorders can be key partners in recovery. Treatment often focuses on rebuilding trust within the body and exploring the emotional drivers beneath the control, rigidity, and food-related anxiety.
2. Cultivate a Critical Lens
The barrage of content from social media can be very persuasive and requires building an awareness around what is truly helpful to consume. That might mean unfollowing influencers, muting key-words and trends, or temporarily stepping away from all platforms to reattune to the body.
3. Practice Mindful, Not Moral, Eating
Food choices often come with internal commentary: “good,” “bad,” “clean,” “cheat.” Part of healing is challenging that black-and-white language and allowing space for nuance. Intuitive or Mindful Eating frameworks, especially when guided by a clinician, can help restore flexibility and trust in your body.
Orthorexia thrives in the curated, filtered spaces of social media, where “wellness” is often synonymous with control. By becoming more aware of the hidden ways these platforms shape our relationship with food and body image, we can begin to question and redefine what true nourishment looks like—without the pressure of perfection. At Aspire Therapy, we offer support for those ready to break free from these harmful cycles and reconnect with a healthier, more compassionate approach to living.
If you are struggling with orthorexia or disordered eating, our team is here to help you rediscover balance and well-being. Please call us today at (323) 345-1402.