Getty The main cast members of Dawson's Creek.
“Star Trek” and “Dawson’s Creek” actor Obi Ndefo’s cause of death at age 51 was released by his sister in a September 2 post on X.
“Obi Ndefo passed away early Wednesday morning in a Los Angeles area hospital. Tragically, Obi’s heart gave out in his longstanding battle against the eating disorder orthorexia,” Nkem Ndefo wrote.
“As his family, we share this news to bring attention to orthorexia’s severity and in the hopes that those suffering from this devastating disease receive the compassionate care they deserve,” she wrote.
“If you’d like to make a donation in Obi’s name to further research on autoimmunity in eating disorders, please go to the National Eating Disorder Association.”
On August 31, Ndefo’s sister announced his death in a Facebook post, writing, “Heartbroken at the loss of my younger brother 💔 and knowing he’s finally at peace ❤️🩹🕊️✨”
According to Variety, Ndefo died on August 28 in a California hospital. In 2019, Ndefo lost both of his legs in a hit-and-run incident in a parking lot, The Los Angeles Times reported, describing him as an “actor, writer, and yoga teacher.”
Ndefo played Bodie Wells on “Dawson’s Creek” from 1998 to 2002, according to his IMDb profile. He had many other acting credits to his name, including appearances on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Stargate SG-1,” and “Dream Big,” according to IMDb.
Obi Ndefo’s Sister Says He Started Out as a ‘Raw Vegan,’ Which Progressed to Orthorexia
Obi Ndefo passed away early Wednesday morning in a Los Angeles area hospital. Tragically, Obi’s heart gave out in his longstanding battle against the eating disorder orthorexia.
Ndefo’s sister explained the family’s decision to release his cause of death.
“Our family had a big discussion about saying anything especially as media outlets were repeatedly contacting me. We decided that it would honor my brother more to tell his story in the hopes that others could get help,” she wrote.
“He started as a raw vegan which in hindsight was the beginning of the orthorexia as it was more about controlling food than health. The severity only worsened,” she added.
“New research shows a strong link between autoimmunity and eating disorders but sadly conventional treatment centers have not caught up with the research so my brother was never tested and treated. The split between psychiatry and neurology and immunology is so harmful.”
Orthorexia Means an ‘Obsession’ With ‘Healthful’ Eating, According to the National Eating Disorders Association
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, “although not formally recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual DSM-5 TR, awareness about orthorexia is on the rise. The term ‘orthorexia’ was coined in 1997 and means an obsession with proper or ‘healthful’ eating.”
“Although being aware of and concerned with the nutritional quality of the food you eat isn’t a problem in and of itself, people with orthorexia become so fixated on so-called ‘healthy eating’ that they actually damage their own well-being and experience health consequences such as malnutrition and/or impairment of psychosocial functioning,” the association explains.
Symptons of orthorexia are listed as including the following:
Compulsive checking of ingredient lists and nutritional labels
An increase in concern about the health of ingredients
Cutting out an increasing number of food groups (all sugar, all carbs, all dairy, all meat, all animal products)
An inability to eat anything but a narrow group of foods that are deemed ‘healthy’ or ‘pure’
Unusual interest in the health of what others are eating
A feeling of superiority around their nutrition and intolerance of other people’s food behaviors and beliefs6
High levels of perfectionism
Spending hours per day thinking about what food might be served at upcoming events
Showing high levels of distress when ‘safe’ or ‘healthy’ foods aren’t available
Obsessive following of food and ‘healthy lifestyle’ blogs on social media
Body image concerns may or may not be present
Psychosocial impairments in different areas of life
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‘Devastating’ Cause of Death for Dawson’s Creek Actor, 51, Released