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Do not deny yourself a chocolate bar: scientists warn of the dangers of orthorexia

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Is it worth being on a diet all the time?. Source: Freepik

People who constantly follow a strict diet have been warned that "clean eating" trends can provoke addiction to healthy food consumption and mental illness.

Experts interviewed 179 female models and 261 healthy people in the control group about their eating habits. The study showed that 35% of the models and one-fifth of the control group, who were mostly young university students, showed a tendency to healthy food addiction, Express writes.

Researchers from Hungary's Semmelweis University warned that in severe cases, this can lead to orthorexia nervosa, an eating disorder where people are obsessed with food that is considered healthy or clean.

Dr. Nikolett Bogár, a PhD student researching eating disorders at the university's Institute of Behavioral Sciences, says that sufferers focus on the quality of food rather than the quantity, but this can have serious health consequences.

"If someone eats only certain types of food – for example, fish, vegetables, green foods, raw items, or exclusively carbohydrate-free dishes – they can just as easily develop nutrient deficiencies as those with eating disorders. They don’t consume enough vitamins, minerals, protein or carbohydrates," she said.

The study also found that 95% of participants in both groups associated healthy eating with positive emotions.

She urged people neither to categorize food as purely good or bad nor to use food restrictions as a form of self-punishment.

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