Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

Since this is basically a healthy vegan forum -- does anybody think they have a healthy eating obsession. I'm guessing the majority of people posting and reading this forum understand what is in the foods and how certain foods, toxins, sweeteners, preservatives or process foods could lead to future health problems or unhealthy weight gain.

Ever since I became a vegan, I read a bunch of books, watched a bunch of videos, and read a bunch of articles which lead to an obsessive healthy eating pattern. I wouldn't think it is a bad thing but find it hard to explain to friends and family why I wont eat a bunch of foods. It can take control of your life being too healthy when it comes to healthy foods for vegans

I wouldn't say I've noticed a healthy eating obsession in people but I have seen what I think of as an "unhealthy eating session".

I've seen terrible vegans (and non vegans) believing in "super foods" and so on to the point where they eat nothing else and live of nothing BUT vegetables. I ever saw a vegan who said she didn't eat breakfast because she got all her "vitamins" from "the sun".. Yea, and you look dead.

People get to obsessed with "eating right" that they forget about a balanced diet.

Maybe that arises in people who don't believe strongly in variety of colors, and who don't understand healthy foods at all...

People who think they are crazy( out of touch with reality ) aren't crazy, because they are still in touch with reality enough to see that something is wrong. If a person has orthorexia, they wouldn't THINK they had it, so they wouldn't answer your question.




Orthorexia isn't about being devoted to healthy eating. It is about being obsessed with dietary rules to the point that you either destroy your health with that obsession or that maintaining your way of eating takes over your life such that you don't have a life.

Supposedly if you are eating a vegan diet for ethical reasons or because you read about medical facts you aren't following rules for the sake of following rules which orthorexics do. If you are healthy while doing it, have interests OTHER than your diet, have a social life, etc you aren't letting your diet take over your life and you aren't orthorexic.

Setting aside the ethical concerns of someone who is a vegan, you have a healthy relationship with your diet, if your diet is nothing more than what you eat. If you get offended if someone says something disparaging about your diet or you feel like a failure if you don't adhere to the rules, then you are making psychological issues for yourself that MAY lead to orthorexia.

The question that needs to be asked is whether you control your Diet or does it control you.
Many people can't distinguish between a Diet choice and cult like behaviors.

That is what I was trying to say, but you put it more powerfully and succinctly. Thank you.

Does anybody find health forums like these could lead to a health food addiction. many people post their diets and exercise routine to obtain the perfect sculpted look especially those that compete or looking to compete.

Yes and no.

Think about it this way. If someone is mentally ill and is going to become a serial killer then it doesn't matter what the stimulus would be, horror films, comics, religion and so on they are going to do that.

Magazines and forums, such as this one are meant for people who at least know what they are doing and know when to stop. A lot of people have very specific diets for the outcomes they want and that's the difference. They know what the diet is for and when to start and stop it and if they don't they can get some advice. It's about eating right for what you want to be but no matter the diet the bases should always be the same. Health. If you are not healthy on your diet, then the bases is wrong.

Also, look at the people on this forum. They either want to be sport fit (whatever sport it is, cycling, running or lifting) or they want to be a bodybuilder and make their body look awesome. If you are the type of person that has the above condition that makes them UNhealthy then you are not following a sport fit diet or even just a general good one..

Please stop confusing people who have a specific diet for their sport or competition with people who follow buzz word detox idiotic diets.

Hi Mythil,

I think I would fall in the obsession category. I do eat but try to stick to quality foods. There is so much info and opinions about food which started to play with my way of thinking. I was vegetarian for the animals but became vegan because I read about the hormones in dairy and how it could make allergies worse. If I read or watch from a credible source like a vegan RD or diet regarding diets, I take note. It is hard to explain

i think people that constantly post their intake, workouts, etc DAILY are obsessive...and not the good kind.

Obsession comes when something you do takes over your life and everything else gets pushed to the side because of it. I don't use certain things because they could be bad for me. I worked / still work in the animal rescue sector so I got to see a lot of bad things which stopped me. There is a difference between being obsessed and doing something because it's good.

However, get your information correct first. For example, a lot of the "superfoods" aren't really "super". In fact, some of them (like spinach, which is good but not as good as they say) are only called "superfoods" because of miscalculations.