Regular dieters have been warned that "

Experts surveyed 179 female models and 261 healthy controls on their eating habits.. The study found that 35% of the models and a fifth of the control group, mostly young university students, showed a tendency towards healthy food addiction, Express writes..

Researchers from Hungary's Semmelweis University warned that in severe cases it could lead to orthorexia nervosa, an eating disorder in which people obsess over foods considered healthy or clean..

Dr Nicolette Bogard, a PhD student who researches eating disorders at the university's Institute of Behavioral Sciences, says sufferers focus on food quality rather than quantity, but this can have serious health consequences.

" They don't consume enough vitamins, minerals, protein or carbohydrates,"

The study also found that 95% of participants in both groups associated healthy eating with positive emotions.

She urged people not to categorize food as purely good or bad or view dietary restrictions as a form of self-punishment.