To me a ‘fussy foodie’ is someone who follows a restricted diet for health or medical reasons but also strives to get the most enjoyment (as well as health benefits) out of their diet.

Believe me it’s tricky but food intolerance should not take over one’s life, and in the vast majority of cases it doesn’t. However, it is a sad fact that in some cases restricted diets and eating disorders can go hand in hand. I am not saying that food intolerance’s cause eating disorders or vice versa but perhaps it’s worth considering how, in certain circumstances, the two could be linked.

The typical person suffering from food intolerances may sometimes feel fed up when symptoms get them down or frustrated by a lack of diagnosis or understanding of their condition. However, on the whole a healthy attitude to nutrition and food remains and we don’t let dietary restrictions get the better of us.

An eating disorder is to eat, or avoid eating, to the point where it negatively affects physical and mental health. A distorted body image develops and an obsession with what has or hasn’t been eaten becomes all encompassing, taking over every day life, affecting relationships and activities and posing serious health risks.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common and medically recognised eating disorders but others include binge eating disorder, orthorexia (an obsession with only eating healthy foods), and selective eating disorder (preventing the consumption of certain foods or food groups).

Are eating disorders and food intolerance linked?

Some might argue that there is a fine line between restricting diet to maintain health and well being and developing a relationship with food that is obsessional, and detrimental to mental and physical health. Here are four examples of how the two could be linked:

1. In serious food allergy or medical conditions dietary restriction can be vital and lifelong. Fear of anaphylaxis or the memory of trauma caused by eating certain foods could take over and the constant need to check labels combined with the feeling of being ‘different’ to everyone else could turn into disordered eating. For example, people with diabetes have a higher likelihood of eating disorders than the general population and some develop a disorder known as ‘diabulemia’ – restricting insulin injections to lose weight, despite potentially devastating costs to health.
2. Using food intolerance as an excuse or ‘get out clause’ in eating disorders. Anorexia can really take over the mind and body of those suffering with it, to the point where the person with the disorder will go to great extremes to restrict or avoid eating. Food intolerances (or vegetarianism for that matter) provide ‘accepted’ reasons to get out of eating what everyone else is having. Intolerances that develop after the onset of disordered eating and that tend to involve high calorie fattening foods may be questionable.
3. Food intolerances can alter the way one thinks about food. Discovering that food intolerance is the cause of debilitating health problems can often be a breakthrough, especially if symptomatic relief is achieved. But for some it can really take away their enjoyment of foods. Unless motivation and effort are put into finding suitable alternatives to the foods excluded, weight loss and nutritional deficiencies are inevitable.
   On the other hand, a new obsession with food could ensue, and an initial unintentional weight loss may develop into a preoccupation with controlling calorie intake as well as managing the food intolerances. A sign of this would be a reluctance to replace restricted foods with nutritious and essential healthy fats (e.g. nuts, oils, seeds).
4. Irregular eating patterns can play havoc with the digestive system and could be falsely interpreted as food intolerances. Yo-yo or ‘faddy’ diets or more serious problems such as bulimia, binge eating or selective eating disorders could be the root of altered bowel habits, bloating, tiredness or headaches. In these cases it would be sensible to address any disordered eating and try to work towards a structured, healthy, balanced diet before introducing any kind of restrictions.

Do you consider your foodie attitude a healthy one? If you agree with most of the following then YES, it probably is!

• I have to check labels for ingredients but am not too worried about calorie or fat contents
• I only cut out the foods that I know I need to because of my medical condition or symptoms
• Wherever I have cut out foods or food groups I have tried to replace them with suitable nutritious alternatives
• I don’t avoid social situations just because of my dietary restrictions
• If I know that there will be nothing I can eat at a party I take my own food or make sure I have a meal before / afterwards
• I don’t usually feel too deprived or depressed about my restrictions as there are plenty of things that I know I can have
• Despite my restrictions I manage to maintain a healthy and fairly stable weight
• I work around my restrictions and still enjoy eating

Changing and restricting your eating habits can be hard but with the right support and a community of Fussy Foodie friends – food can be fun and tasty again!