Clean Eating = Disordered Eating

I want to start this off by saying that I am not against fresh, whole foods straight from the source, such as, fruits, vegetables, beans, olive oil, nuts, and seeds, these foods are staples in my life.

What I am against is the belief that not eating “clean”, or rather, eating foods that are more processed or contain preservatives, causes negative health complications and are bad for you. In other words, the obsession with eating clean, to the extent that it interferes with your life and causes you stress, anxiety, or guilt.

When foods are excluded because they’re believed to be harmful, without any scientific basis, this becomes disordered. Of course, I’m not referring to someone avoiding gluten due having Celiac disease or avoiding a food because of an allergy. I’m talking about someone avoiding going out to lunch with a friend out of a fear of not knowing how that food is made or what’s in it. Or the person who attends a work party and obsesses over every bite of food, fearing he ate something that could hurt him, feeling guilty, or afterwards engaging in punishing behaviors.

So, what is clean eating?

Great question, because there’s no real definition.

Initially, clean eating sprouted from a desire to eat in a manner that emphasized more whole, nutritious foods and again, this isn’t a bad thing. However, the diet industry got its hands on it, repackaging it as a “lifestyle;” and one with no shortage of rigid guidelines and requirements. In my work, and my own experience with clean eating, the beliefs about clean eating creating fear mongering, scaring people into believing that processed foods are bad for you and should be avoided.

Clean eating also sends a message that I would even say has an air or superiority and privilege, passively aggressively sending the message to those who either choose not to eat clean or simply can’t afford it, that they don’t care as much about their health. Not cool.

Eating clean can cause more harm than good

Taken to the extreme, restrictive practices, such as those laid out in the clean eating lifestyle, can lead to disordered eating patterns, such as orthorexia, which is the obsession of eating clean or healthy. And while still not an official diagnosis, orthorexia can be all consuming, posing major negative impacts on a person’s mental and physical health and social life, and lead someone down the path of anorexia or binge eating disorder.  

For others, the pressure to eat clean can lead to anxious thoughts about food, excessive preoccupation around eating, stress, feelings of shame, and compensatory behaviors, all of which result from the restrictive and rigid nature of clean eating.

And I don’t know about y’all, but I think we’re healthier when we’re not stressing and obsessing over every bite of food, and instead, we understand that all foods can be a part of a healthful, balanced life.

Warmly,

Lindsey

Questions? Comments? I’d love to hear from you. Drop a line in the comment section or shoot me an email.