Though I am not very experienced with orchids, I would like to reply. Let me warn you that while I am knowledgeable about plants, I have great difficulty in applying my knowledge to keeping plants alive. So this is more of a theoretical post.
Leaves are how the plant fuels itself. Leaves convert light into energy. Although fertilizer is called "plant food," it really only supplies chemicals for the plant to use. The energy of the plant is created by the leaves. One analogy is the role of vitamins and minerals for humans. They are necessary, but they do not provide the energy we need to live. For energy, we consume fats, proteins and carbohydrates. If we cut off leaves, we are decreasing the plant's energy source and impair the growth of the plant in general.
Speaking of plants in general, I can think of two reasons you may want to remove leaves for plant health.
One reason is disease. Removing the diseased tissue can remove pathogens. I suppose it may also help air circulation, which can be a factor in some diseases.
The other situation is when the root system has been compromised. For instance, when transplanting a large shrub. The smaller root system may be insufficient to provide water to the entire canopy of the plant. While this may SEEM similar, it is done for entirely different reasons. It is not done to encourage root growth, but to prevent water loss. Phalenopsis are very good at conserving water, so we can't really improve on what they are doing already. Unlike non-succulent plants, Phalenopsis actually STORE water in their leaves, so removing leaves also removes water the plant hads previously stored, so it is actually detrimental.
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