Megarexia is an eating disorder (ED). The most popular ACTs are bulimia, anorexia nervosa, and vigorexia or orthorexia (the obsession with healthy eating), but there are also others, such as megarexia.

This last disorder, however, is not covered by the DSM (statistical diagnostic manual of mental disorders). Dr. Jaime Brugos first mentioned the term Megarexia in one of his works in his book “Isoprotein Diet” in 1992.

An eating disorder is a serious, chronic and progressive illness that, although its most important characteristic has to do with the alteration of eating behavior, there are other types of symptoms such as a distortion of body self-image , a great fear of gaining or losing weight and the acquisition of certain beliefs and values about aesthetics and body image.

Today, in Western societies, it is common to encounter people who are obsessed with their physical appearance, an obsession that can even prevent the normal functioning of their daily lives, and that puts their health at risk. In extreme cases, it can even endanger your life.

Megarexia: what is it?

Megarexia is an eating disorder that consists of the fact that an obese person who suffers from it does not look overweight, that is, he or she perceives his or her body as thin .

Since it is not a well-known disorder, there are difficulties in fighting this disease. Obesity is not only a matter of aesthetics, but it can also cause serious health problems in people who suffer from it.

Consequences of Megarexia

As we have mentioned, obesity and overweight are risk factors that significantly increase the possibility of suffering from diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, gout, etc.

People who suffer from Megarexia not only consider that they are not obese, but that they do not do anything to change their harmful lifestyle. For example, instead of eating nutritionally adequate foods, they eat foods that are harmful to their health. Not being aware of their disorder, they do not lead an active life or practice physical exercise, which increases the risk of suffering from other diseases related to sedentary life.

Furthermore, physical exercise not only affects the physical level, but also brings benefits on a psychological level. To learn more about this, we invite you to read our article: “The 10 psychological benefits of exercise”.

How to combat Megarexia?

Therefore, a first step to combat this disorder has to do with the acceptance of the person suffering from this disease . But he or she must not only accept that he or she has an eating problem, but must also be aware that he or she has a serious psychological disorder. In this context, the person’s environment is critical to help him/her overcome this psychopathology.

The nearby environment should persuade the patient to seek out an expert in the treatment of ACT. If this is not possible, the family doctor should be contacted, as this may be the first option for progressive improvement of the disorder.