Food Restriction Addiction: Addressing Extreme Dietary Restrictions and Obsessions

The concept of food restriction addiction emerges from the recognition that eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa and certain forms of bulimia nervosa, share many characteristics with substance use disorders. However, food restriction addiction extends beyond clinical eating disorders to encompass a broader spectrum of behaviors where individuals become psychologically and physiologically dependent on restricting their food intake. This can manifest in various forms, from extreme dieting behaviors to intermittent fasting taken to unhealthy extremes, from orthorexia nervosa where only "pure" foods are consumed to exercise bulimia where food restriction is combined with excessive physical activity.