Trendspotting: Food Fussies

By Angie Argabrite, Monday, June 4, 2012, at 9:01 am.

Heard of orthorexia nervosa? It’s the newest kid on the eating disorder block and defined by severely limiting one’s diet in an attempt at “perfect,” clean eating. Though it’s not yet listed in the DSM, it’s no doubt on the rise, especially among female athletes, and is the subject of a new episode of MTV’s “True Life.” Also on the rise? Snackoholism. Four percent of Brits have admitted to being addicted to snacking between meals and feel they’re unable to stop. One in 10 actually said they’d rather have a snack than a roll in the hay. Meanwhile, excited chatter about the potential release of a new obesity drug, Qnexa, has given way to concern about its safety, as the FDA delays its release by three months for further testing. But even more questions have been raised about the K-E Diet, also known as the “feeding tube diet,” popularized by soon-to-be brides looking for a quick weight fix. Promising a 20-pound weight loss in 10 days, the “diet” involves inserting a tube into the nose to dribble a low-calorie nutrient solution into the stomach. Here’s some sweet news to counter those unappetizing developments: A new study finds that those who snack regularly on chocolate have a lower BMI than those who don’t. But our favorite dieting approach (besides indulging in chocolate) is moderation. After author (and seemingly natural-born self-marketer) A.J. Jacobs devoted himself to a year of “perfect health,” he, too, came to the conclusion that no wiser words were ever spoken than those of Oscar Wilde, who wrote, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

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