Food obsession

[andrewducker]

Based on this article on orthorexia that Nick sent me:
[Poll #1445845]

Comments

[bracknellexile.livejournal.com]

I avoid certain foods, but not necessarily food groups. For example, can't stand coffee, but don't avoid caffeine.

Quite where you draw the line between a food and a food group I'm not sure though. There are many different coffees. Does that make "coffee" a food group?

[andrewducker]

Avoiding a food component does it, I'd say. If you avoided everything with Gluten in it, or all fish.

Coffee seems more like a food than a food group, but I'm sure some people would disagree.

[feorag.livejournal.com]

You missed out not eating certain food groups on ethical grounds. I mean, I won't touch meat or fish for that reason, and eggs would fall under that banner too if it weren't for the fact that they seem to give me gutrot anyway. I have both ethical and "makes me feel shit" qualms about dairy, too, and try to avoid it.

[andrewducker]

Personal disclosure - I avoid sugar, as it makes me feel crap. Testing shows I don't have diabetes - but the doctor suggested that insulin resistance was possible, but it wasn't worth getting tested as all they'd tell me would be "Don't eat sugar", which I was already doing.

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

I generally don't eat starchy things (bread/pasta/rice/noodles/potatoes/beans/lentils etc) cos

1) they are boring.
2) they give me wind.

I'm not much one for sugary stuff usually, and I don't really eat anything processed at all (including processed oils). Plain chocolate (70%+) or cheese is about as "messed-with" as it gets.

I'm not fanatic about it though - e.g. I had a bit of my sister's wedding cake and some tempuri veggies/squid at a meal out this week.

[wildeabandon.livejournal.com]

Eh. If you think starchy things are boring then you are doing them wrong.

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

In and of themsleves in isolation, they are generally dull, is what I meant (Ok, beans less so, I'll give you). It's the sauce/veg/meat/spices/herbs/oils/additions that would make them interesting. So I prefer to have have much more of the actual tasty bits without the dull stodge.

[kashandara.livejournal.com]

I avoid caffeine (except in chocolate cause I'm an addict, but I have cut down) because I noticed a direct correlation between migraines and irn bru/coca cola consumption. Since dropping caffeine reduced the frequencies of migraines I didn't bother going to the doctor with it, though I've mentioned it during checkups since and been told it was probably a smart decision. ;-)

[bugshaw.livejournal.com]

My answer to the first question changes throughout the year. My answers to the other three stay the same all the time.

[anton-p-nym.livejournal.com]

I don't avoid groups of foods, but I do avoid particular foods (salmon and tuna are the two biggies) due to sensitivities/allergies.

-- Steve went with what he perceived to be the intent of the poll, and selected "No" for that question.

[lilitufire.livejournal.com]

I am only on a diet to repair the damage from a 2 week wine tasting and gourmet meal holiday. I do, however, eat fairly low carb as I simply feel better if I do that. I recently found out that I have PCOS which sort of explains it, as it's one of the things recommended for it, but I found it out through trial and error first.

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

I avoid caffeine because it makes me feel like crap. My doctor confirmed it was an issue but I still ticked "Yes - based on my own experience/" because he said the same about booze and fags and I only listen to him when I want to.

I also avoid fish cos it tastes nasty.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

I am somewhat allergic to citrus fruits. One is fine. Two or more make me feel like someone is slowly strangling me. My ex refuses to let me eat anything with citrus in it (aside from dilute lime juice) for some wild-eyed reason (I know from past experience it is perfectly safe, just uncomfortable).

[likeneontubing.livejournal.com]

What do you want to see from the answers? What are you enquiring about I wonder?

[andrewducker]

The article had me wondering how food-obsessed my friends were.

[lizw.livejournal.com]

By way of context for my answers, I'm a recovering bulimic and also have IBS. I don't eat meat because, after living with and cooking for two vegetarians for several years, I found I was eating it so rarely that it began to aggravate my IBS on the odd occasion when I did eat it. To prevent it aggravating my IBS, I'd have to eat it in larger quantities than I actually want to, so it's easier not to eat it at all. I had already given up eating fish because in current conditions, I'm not convinced there's an ethical, sustainable way of producing and harvesting it. I also minimise my consumption of caffeine and onions because of the IBS. The IBS itself is officially diagnosed, but I worked out for myself which foods were my particular triggers - this varies hugely from person to person, but mine are not uncommon.

I think about food a lot, but no longer in a stressful "OMG I'm so hungry when can I next eat a crispbread on this diet" sort of way and rather in a pleasurable, "how can I find the best, most ethical, most nutritious ingredients and enjoy cooking them for my family" sort of way. That change has been one of the greatest benefits of my eating disorder recovery. I've vowed never to diet again (and my GP agrees that I shouldn't), and have been immensely helped in that resolve by Paul Campos' book The Obesity Myth and the recent research from California and Canada debunking the supposed health benefits of being thin.

[drdoug.livejournal.com]

I avoid meat and fish entirely, but on resource usage grounds, not intolerance/sensitivity/health concern ones.

[drdoug.livejournal.com]

Oh, forgot to mention, I tend to avoid cucumber, because it is the salad vegetable of SATAN and Evil and Ritually Unclean, and no good can come of it. Apart from sub-Bennie Hill innuendo, which really only strengthens my point.

But I'll eat it if it's part of all that's on offer, in a sort of useless unprincipled kind of way.

[dalglir.livejournal.com]

I love food. I like eating. I like eating different styles of food. I love eating out in a restaurants. I love eating in. I love cooking. I like food with different tastes and textures.

::YUM::

[seph-hazard.livejournal.com]

But you missed out vegetarianism!!! O NOES I HAS NO TICKYBOX. Went for the second because is closest to veggie but still DOES NOT VALIDATE ME, DAMN YOU.

[seph-hazard.livejournal.com]

Also I am veggie for slightly unusual reasons, see http://persephonehazard.blogspot.com/2009/06/vegetarians-taste-better.html [grin]

[andrewducker]

I didn't mention _any_ specific food avoidance. I just asked if people did in general. :-p

[seph-hazard.livejournal.com]

But it's different, innit? Anyway, see link I gave: I don't avoid meat for any specific reason, I just, uh, don't eat meat.

[aliiis.livejournal.com]

Yeah, was going to say there are also people who keep kosher or halal, which is usually not for 'health'/weight type reasons either :)

[redshira.livejournal.com]

Context: I spent twenty or so years starving myself and am still struggling with those urges. I have a lot of food intolerances and am severely insulin resistant; there are very few foods which are both enjoyable and not going to make me ill in some way. Mostly, I'm only "allowed" (in terms of low-carb stuff that won't mess up my blood sugar) to eat food which make me feel sick or which is so revolting to me that I'd rather eat nothing. I think about food a lot because most of the time, it is a constant struggle to keep myself properly fed.
And yet I am 21 and a half stone. If it weren't for Kate Harding and the rest of the fatosphere I'd still be indescribably miserable and full of self-loathing.

[neferet.livejournal.com]

I don't 'diet' any more, as I used to become so obsessed about it the stress would make me ill, or I'd end up almost bulemic. I am only careful about portion size, and making sure I get a good range of food.

I do however think about food a lot, due to having a food allergy, and being 'fussy' i.e. if I can't tell what is in it, or what part of the plant or beast it came from, I won't eat it.

[lpetrazickis.livejournal.com]

I hate fried vegetables and don't care much for steamed ones, but I don't necessarily avoid veggies in general.

[paddie-gal.livejournal.com]

I avoid shellfish in dodgy places, cos I'm massively allergic to it. but I still eat it in nice places, if it's worth being sick over. Like on honeymoon, I had these crab-cakes. I knew I'd be ill the next day, but it was so worth it cos they were great. But I wouldn't have a prawn sandwich, cos that's not worth it.

[teaotter.livejournal.com]

From the article: Refusing to touch sugar, salt, caffeine, alcohol, wheat, gluten, yeast, soya, corn and dairy foods is just the start of their diet restrictions. Any foods that have come into contact with pesticides, herbicides or contain artificial additives are also out.

That sounds remarkably like the advice I got from a couple of naturopathic doctors I went to years ago (for migraines, I should point out). When I asked them what I *should* eat, it was a short list, largely dominated by raw foods and seaweed, if I remember correctly.

[lizzie-and-ari.livejournal.com]

By diet I presume you mean a weight loss diet?

[andrewducker]

Yup.

Definitely not a Koala loss diet.

[lizzie-and-ari.livejournal.com]

Sorry, it's one of my bug bears. Everyone is on a diet. That's what eating food is. Further to that, you could be specifically on a weight-loss diet, a weight gain diet, a low cholesterol diet, or a diet that omits food groups as you go on to talk about.

I reminds me of my grandma when she used to say she 'had blood pressure'. We were all quite glad about that. x

[amberite.livejournal.com]

These days I eat like a horse and never seem to have enough time to get food down my throat. So, I'm hungry a lot but it's not for lack of trying. :P This has varied a lot in the past. Right now it's mainly the result of being up early in the morning and working myself too hard.

I avoid certain food groups due to preference, which wasn't in the list.

[darkoshi]

My hunger level varies a lot during the day. In the afternoon on work days I tend to be hungry. Or when I'm late taking my lunch break. Otherwise not.

I avoid eating some foods for ethical reasons. I buy organic produce when possible, and most non-organic produce has a distinct lack of appeal for me in grocery stores, but I don't avoid eating non-organic stuff, in restaurants for example. I avoid certain preservatives and all artificial sweeteners... that could be considered a type of orthorexia, I guess.

[giantbedsprings.livejournal.com]

I should add that I had 2 wisdom teeth taken out on Tuesday, so I am kind of on a diet and a avoiding certain foods because of that. And I'm quite hungry because of it.

Normally I'm not on a diet, but I avoid too many fatty foods and I try to eat free range/organic meat where possible (own personal preferences).

[red-phil.livejournal.com]

I am on a diet
= Yes
Everyone is, unless they don't eat at all.

I avoid eating certain food groups
= Yes - based on my own experience/advice from non-medical-professionals/books
I avoid the group of foods I don;t like based on personal experience.
And anything with pears in them, I think I am slightly alergic to Pear.


I am hungry a lot
= No
Not as often as I should be if I want to shift this extra weight I'm carrying.

I think about food a lot
= No
At least not compared to most other people I know.