- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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July 11, 2009
Blog: Orthorexia — When eating healthy goes awry
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Everyone can benefit by paying more attention to choosing healthy foods, right?
For the most part, yes. However, a small number of people become obsessed with the "perfect diet." Orthorexia nervosa — which means fixation on righteous eating — is a term that has been coined to describe this behavior. If you have orthorexia, you fixate on eating foods that make you feel pure and healthy. You may avoid many foods, including those made with:
- Artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
- Pesticides or genetic modification
- Unhealthy fat, sugar or salt
You may also be overly concerned with preparation techniques — for example, food must be washed multiple times and utensils must be sterilized. You probably also avoid eating food that you didn't buy and prepare.
According to Dr. Steven Bratman — the physician who first described and named this disorder — individuals with orthorexia find that their food obsessions begin to hinder everyday activities. Their strict rules and beliefs about food may lead them to become socially isolated. These individuals may also become intolerant of other people's views about food and health.
Although orthorexia is not an officially recognized eating disorder, most experts agree that this kind of obsession isn't healthy. If striving for a healthy diet becomes an overwhelming drive that takes over your life, seek help. Orthorexia can be treated with counseling and medication.
Your thoughts?
16 comments posted
- Mathieu J. What is orthorexia? Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005;105:1510.
16 comments posted