Stili di vita e dipendenze non farmacologiche

Introduction

Behavioral addictions are new forms of dependence that do not involve the use of chemical substances. The object of the addiction is a behavior or activity that is lawful or socially accepted. These types of addiction are manifested by the urgent need to engage in the activity, and they may eventually undermine the very existence of the individual and his/her relational system, becoming a true illness with symptoms similar to those associated with drug or alcohol addiction. This review will provide a description of three new diseases that are becoming widespread in industrialized countries. All 3 are characterized by obsession with the body. Orthorexia is characterized by the spasmodic search for food that is authentic, natural, free of herbicides, pesticides, and other artificial substances. Bigorexia or muscle dysmorphia is an obsessive focus on physical fitness and muscular development, which leads the patient to engage in continuous physical exercise, unbalanced dietary practices, and/or use of doping substances. Finally, tanorexia or compulsive sun-tanning syndrome, is the obsession with tanning at all costs.

Materials and methods

The search engines Cilea and Google Scholar were searched using the following keywords orthorexia, muscle dysmorphia, and tanning addiction. The articles returned were then selected to include the more recent publications that focused on psychopathological aspects of these disorders. We also consulted texts by authors in Italy and abroad who first dealt with these new diseases.

Conclusions

The growing interest in these new diseases should stimulate efforts to increase our understanding of the problems and find effective strategies for their management. What is needed is a profound ethical renewal in which the existing emphasis on “appearances” in our culture is countered with “a culture of being.”