The term orthorexia was coined in 1997 by Dr Steven Bratman, a Californian practitioner in alternative medicine. Bratman claims to have identified the onset of the condition within himself when he was an organic farmer in a New York commune during the 1970s. It was here that he finally decided that his preoccupation with food was unnatural and that it was healthier to enjoy a pizza with friends than to dine alone on bean sprouts! To assist others to reach the same conclusion, Bratman has set up a website www.orthorexia.com. He has also created an ‘orthorexia self-test’ for food phobes.

The term orthorexia was coined in 1997 by Dr Steven Bratman, a Californian practitioner in alternative medicine. Bratman claims to have identified the onset of the condition within himself when he was an organic farmer in a New York commune during the 1970s. It was here that he finally decided that his preoccupation with food was unnatural and that it was healthier to enjoy a pizza with friends than to dine alone on bean sprouts! To assist others to reach the same conclusion, Bratman has set up a website www.orthorexia.com. He has also created an ‘orthorexia self-test’ for food phobes.