Pure as Gold

Just for fun, I recently picked up an issue of Teen Vogue, already prepared to be baffled by what I saw inside. I thought I would be shocked by articles on sexuality, perplexed by the prom fashions being peddled to young women, and confused by the advice being given on relationships. The cover of the magazine indicated that those articles were inside, but something else piqued my attention, something like, “Are you Orthorexic?” What’s that?? It was enough to make me open the magazine and hunt for the article.

In the article, it was explained that the most common and well-known eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia. As we know, there are many disorders that aren’t as familiar. A vast number of women (and now, more than ever, men) are struggling from what specialists deem “disordered eating,” a more general term for building unhealthy ways of eating, dieting, or viewing one’s body. Orthorexia, the newcomer to disordered eating, is an obsession with eating pure foods. It is the desire to feel wholly natural, pure, and healthy. Experts say it is equally as dangerous as anorexia and bulimia, even though the motivations seem well-intentioned. With the explosion of organic, natural, free-range, and cage-free foods, there has also come an obsession with consuming only those products - making everything else seem unhealthy, unsafe, and unappealing.

This new issue can be attributed to health food markets and marketing focused on natural goods. But it can also be attributed to our obsessions in general. I am all for dedication, hard work, and high standards, but there are limits to everything. Self-discipline can lead to self-denial, and perfection can lead to punishment. Perhaps we should be looking toward balance instead. In balance, we have a pretty good shot at keeping ourselves honest, leaving more wiggle room for “error,” and more space for self-forgiveness.

In fact, is obsession ever beneficial? How does it help us? Does panic to get the laundry done accomplish anything in the moment? Does harping on a deadline make you feel better about the process of finishing it? When considering our bodies, minds, and spirits, obsession gets even more dangerous.

As I remembered that this article was geared toward an issue facing teenage women, another question came to mind: are we creating bad habits for our young people? Sure, we should build healthy habits, but anything can be taken too far. Something like a balanced diet, coming from reliable and sustainable resources is not a bad thing, when done with the proper intent and motivations.

Circumstances aren’t always going to be exactly what we want them to be, but we make choices and decisions as well as we can, taking care of ourselves, others, and our community to the best of our ability. And that, to me, seems pure.