The newest eating disorder: Orthorexia

[laundry_queen]

17. You just described my mother

unfortunately I had to grow up with it. It wrecked my relationship with food.

A few years back I had to live with my parents for a few months. I couldn't believe that my mother had gotten WORSE. She was in a panic because they were going on a cruise in a month. She ate cabbage soup for dinner for the entire month. All her and my dad talked about every single day after work was what they ate, new recipes that adhered to their diet, how much they worked out, what exercises they did, what new work out programs they could try, how much weight had been lost, how measurements had changed...omg ad infinitum. I cooked chicken breasts with steamed veggies and rice one night and she wouldn't touch it because I used 1 tsp of olive oil for the chicken.

Her doctor has already told her she is underweight and her bone density is getting bad. She occasionally binges but is unbelievably restrictive in her eating day to day. And it's always a big part of conversation. I'm always careful about what I say around her, because she will turn it into a conversation about food and dieting. It IS boring.

When I was growing up at least Christmas and other holidays had the food restrictions relaxed...it was the only time of year we were allowed to enjoy 'rich' food, but my mother's food issues have now invaded those holidays. My mom doesn't make any traditional stuff she made when I was growing up because it's 'gross' and 'unhealthy'. She had turned Christmas dinner into a restrictive feast of steamed organic veggies (we did have a turkey though. She skipped the gravy). I think it's bad but my brother agrees with her, my father doesn't say anything (long story, but he has traditional holidays from his culture that my mom no longer celebrates with him because she can't 'handle the rich food'.) and no one listens to me because I'm fat, so clearly have no say in what should be on the table, because it would be gross and fattening. You are SO right, that's what my parents think - I'm bad and ignorant.

I've pulled back from my relationship with my parents over this issue. I don't want my kids to pick up anything they might say because that's not how I want my kids to think about food. It's too bad, really.