From Control to Connection: Healing Orthorexia with Body Trust and Integrative Care
Food is meant to be a source of joy. But for someone struggling with orthorexia, eating can become a spiral of fear, shame, and obsession.
Orthorexia is a relatively new but increasingly recognized form of disordered eating. While not currently listed in the DSM-5, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) defines it as an unhealthy obsession with eating “pure” or “clean” foods. This often shows up as strict food rules, compulsive ingredient-checking, and emotional distress around eating.
Some common signs of orthorexia:
- Obsessively reading nutrition labels
- Cutting out entire food groups like carbs, dairy, or sugar
- Feeling guilty or ashamed after breaking food rules
- Anxiety when “safe” foods aren’t available
- Social withdrawal around meals
- Feeling morally “better” or “worse” based on what you eat
At first, these behaviors can feel empowering. They offer structure, purpose—even pride. But over time, they can take over. Meals become stressful. Socializing becomes hard. Grocery shopping takes hours. Cooking feels like a chore. Food—once a source of comfort, social connection, and cultural meaning—starts to feel like a threat.
When “Wellness” Becomes Harmful
We live in a world filled with wellness advice. But much of it is misleading, oversimplified, or just wrong (Harrison, 2023). Even when the advice is rooted in science, we rarely stop to ask: Is this sustainable? Does it actually make us feel better? Who profits from this fear?
Many so-called “healthy” diets cause more harm than good. Even when they’re not about losing weight, they often mimic the same rigid rules. These patterns can raise stress levels, trigger hormone imbalances, and fuel disordered eating (Mantzios et al., 2024; Poli et al., 2024). Over time, the pursuit of health becomes a cycle of restriction, guilt, and loss of trust in your own body (Benítez-Porres & Murri, 2025; Lombardo et al., 2025).
Still, these cycles continue. Why? Because we’re taught to blame ourselves—not the diet. When we “fail” a plan, we assume we lack willpower. But if 95% of diets don’t last beyond five years (Mann et al., 2007), maybe it’s time to stop blaming ourselves—and start questioning the system.
It’s Not Just You—It’s the Culture
Orthorexia doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s a reaction to a culture that moralizes food and judges bodies (Fixsen, 2024). We’re told that some foods are “clean” and others are “toxic.” That eating “right” makes us better people. That health is something you earn through discipline.
But the truth is, these pressures hit some people harder than others. Orthorexia often shows up in those already facing health anxiety, chronic illness, or systemic marginalization (Dziewa et al., 2023). And it thrives in silence, especially in communities where food is policed and perfectionism is normalized.
We also overlook the deeper issue: health is not just about personal choices. It’s shaped by where you live, how much you earn, your access to care, your community, and more (Poli et al., 2024; Mantzios et al., 2024). Without this context, it’s easy to confuse injustice with individual failure.
You didn’t “fail” a diet. The diet failed you.
A New Approach: Body Trust and Whole-Person Care
So what’s the alternative?
Healing starts with reconnection—not with a new set of rules. The Body Trust® framework by Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant offers a radically different approach. It teaches us to listen to our bodies, not override them. To heal shame, not fuel it. To understand that health isn’t earned—it’s lived.
At New York Integrative Psychiatry, we use this philosophy in our integrative care model. We don’t treat symptoms in isolation—we look at the whole picture. Our team includes psychiatrists, therapists, and dietitians who work together to address your body, mind, soul, and environment.
We also offer innovative treatments like Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). For clients feeling stuck, KAP can gently help release rigid thought loops, rebuild trust in the body, and open new pathways to healing—all within a trauma-informed, supportive setting.
Recovery isn’t about “letting yourself go.” It’s about coming home to yourself.
If you’re unsure where to begin with recovery, try asking:
What happened the last time I tried to “fix” my health through a plan?
How did it feel—did I feel alive, or just compliant?
What did it cost me—emotionally, physically, socially?
Who did I blame when it didn’t work?
Was it really my failure—or was it the system’s?
If you want to dig deeper, I highly recommend reading Reclaiming Body Trust and using their free workbook (submit the form at the bottom of this page to receive by email). These tools offer gentle, powerful support for those ready to unlearn shame and reclaim self-compassion.
- Emma Curtis, LMFT
Orthorexia often hides behind wellness. But beneath the rituals and rules are fear, shame, and a desire for control in a chaotic world.
Though these are understandable responses to living in an oppressive culture, you deserve more.
Healing doesn’t mean giving up on caring for your body. It means redefining what care actually looks like. Not control. Not perfection. But flexibility, safety, joy, connection, and trust.
You are not broken. And you deserve a relationship with food—and with yourself—that feels peaceful, not punishing. Schedule a session today and take the first step toward reclaiming your body, your voice, and your sense of peace.