Emmerdale is highlighting the eating disorder orthorexia through its character Gabby Thomas, played by Rosie Bentham. The condition affects between 1% and 7% of the UK population.
In an exclusive interview with Metro, actress Rosie described orthorexia as a pathological obsession with eating what the sufferer believes to be 'pure' foods. While it was first defined in 1997, it is not currently recognised in a clinical setting.
What is orthorexia?
Sufferers of orthorexia put food into two categories: pure and impure. Which foods are placed where can vary from person to person. According to BEAT, the UK's leading charity supporting those affected by eating disorders, this does not mean that anyone who subscribes to a healthy eating plan or diet is suffering from orthorexia. Moreover, while orthorexia bears some similarities to anorexia, there are a few key differences.
Umairah Malik, clinical and co-production manager at BEAT, says there is still much to learn about orthorexia. 'Eating disorders account for 9% of mental health conditions, but only get about 1% to 2% of the research funding,' she tells Metro. She adds that, due to this lack of information, patients are sometimes diagnosed with OSFED, an acronym which stands for 'other specified feeding or eating disorder'.
Signs and symptoms of orthorexia
Like all eating disorders, orthorexia has the ability to cause emotional, psychological, and physical damage. Typical behaviours include cutting out particular foods or food groups in an attempt to make their diet healthier, judgment about the eating habits of others, and an obsession with healthy or supposedly healthy diet.
Alongside physical symptoms which can include weight loss, feeling weaker, tiredness, and low energy levels, orthorexia is also an emotional burden. BEAT highlights psychological signs such as an obsession with healthy or supposedly healthy diet, increased focus on meals which interfere with other areas of life such as relationships or work, feelings of anxiety and guilt, and low mood and depression. Individuals may feel as though they're unable to put aside personal rules about what they can and can't eat, even if they want to. Some may also think that their emotional wellbeing is overly dependent on eating the 'right' food.
Treatment for orthorexia
Because orthorexia is not recognised as an eating disorder in a clinical setting, there are currently no official diagnostic criteria or specific treatments. However, due to its shared characteristics with both anorexia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), treatment often follows similar approaches to those used for these mental health illnesses. Typical treatment plans tend to include monitoring physical health and nutritional status, psychological therapy, and dietetic support.
Social media's role
A study published by the British Journal of Nursing found that misinformation, often propagated by individuals without professional credentials, is an issue on social media. Equally pressing is the fact that there is an increased reliance on social media for health information – with young people turning to TikTok and Instagram for dietary advice before consulting a professional.
Umairah tells Metro: 'We see how, for someone who might be vulnerable to developing an eating disorder or struggling with disordered eating, seeing a post where someone makes a really broad generalisation about food can be really damaging.' Actress Rosie also added that her own social media feeds have become 'extreme', with dozens of videos from 'random people with probably no qualification in nutrition' making claims about food.
In a 2020 survey by BEAT, 83% of people with lived experience shared that they felt there wasn't enough coverage of eating disorders in the media – 48% also felt that their diagnosis wasn't represented accurately. Umairah is pleased that Emmerdale has chosen to spotlight this condition. 'When something like this is done in a safe and responsible way, that doesn't perpetuate harmful stereotypes, it can be so helpful for people,' she shares.
Umairah emphasises how important it can be for these conditions to be brought into media consumed by Brits on a day-to-day basis. 'Having people talk about their experiences, whether it's fictional or not, can sometimes have more of an impact than a bunch of stats,' she concludes.
