Most of us watch our diets, partake in some sort of physical activity, and take care of ourselves overall. Yet, for others, a strict regimen of healthy eating, going to the gym, and over supplementation can become an obsession.  

Reasons
From spending hours upon hours working out in the gym to taking every vitamin and mineral under the sun, being healthy is not just a habit for these individuals, but is an extreme way of life.  

In fact, Clinical Psychologist Dr. Saliha Afridi points out there could be many reasons why a person becomes overly focused on being healthy. Psychologically, the person may have self-esteem issues or it could more serious problems such as psychosomatic disorders, body dimorphic disorder, or eating disorders. Others may already have addictive or obsessional tendencies which lend themselves to taking a healthy habit overboard or using a healthy habit to ‘take control’ of their life which may seem otherwise out of control. “Biologically, the person could have a family history of medical problems or maybe they had a family member suffer from health problems and they want to avoid being in a similar situation,” explains Dr. Afridi.  

Potential Dangers
Many supplements are not truly approved by medical doctors and may have harmful ingredients for certain body types or when mixed with other supplements. In fact, even if they are all natural, they can be harmful if misused or taken in extremes. Likewise, exercising can also have a negative impact if the person is not eating the correct diet, if they lose too much body fat, and there could even be an imbalance in their electrolytes or dehydration.  

Breaking the Cycle
Do an assessment of your life. Ask yourself: How are your relationships? How are your work commitments? Is there an imbalance in one area versus another? Remember, in order to be healthy, it must be balanced. You can do this by making sure that you are only dedicating some of your daily time to thinking about and engaging in this routine. If you feel that you have a tendency to go overboard, then enlist the help of a friend or family member that you can engage in this routine with.  

Finally, time management means life management: Note down the hours you are spending on the routine to make sure that it is part of your life, but not your entire life.