Pica: This woman is addicted to eating toilet paper and it could be a symptom of this disorder

While some people eat to live, others live to eat. We all have our weird quirks and fav unlikely food combination we love to indulge in that others might not agree with.

With so many of us experimenting with everything from Ketogenic diet to even the raw meat diet, its quite normal for differences to arise among people when it come to food habit. However, most of us would still stick to the same definition when it comes to what is considered edible and not-edible.

But there are some outliers among us who challenge our notions of what constitutes food and diet. As shared by Mirror, TLC's program My Strange Addiction shared the case of one such individual whose diet consists of eating copious amounts of toilet paper roll!

Woman addicted to eating toilet paper

The season premier of My Strange Addiction shared the story of Kinah, who eats up to 4 toilet paper rolls a day! Even with the disapproval of her boyfriend, and the weird stares she receives from others, Kinah is unable to give up her habit of snacking on toilet paper rolls.

Her addiction is so severe that she now spends about $2,700 (£2,100) annually on her toilet paper budget.

Describing her love of eating toilet paper, Kinah states,

You know that feeling, like after Thanksgiving, you've eaten all your favourite foods and you're just sitting on your couch and you're just relaxing, like, that's what I feel after I eat toilet paper.

Even though the episode might shock and amuse viewers, it is important to realise that eating items which are not food, and which do not have any nutritive value could be the symptom of an eating disorder, called pica.

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What's pica and what causes it?

Cleveland Clinic informs that pica is a mental health condition where a person compulsively consumes non-food items. While doing that by itself might not be harmful, eating hazardous items can make pica a dangerous condition for some.

Consuming toxic substances could cause individuals to be sick, infected or even worse. Pica could also lead to a host of other conditions such as anemia, constipation, lead poisoning, intestine obstruction and irregular heart rhythms.

If you or someone you know is exhibiting similar patterns of compulsive consumption of non-food items, you should consult a medical practitioner asap. As per the report, it is possible to treat pica with lifestyle changes as well as therapy.

Read more:

⋙ This is how much toilet paper you should use every time you go to the bathroom

Sources used:

Mirror: 'Woman who eats four loo rolls a day spends over £2k a year on her unusual habit'

Cleveland Clinic: 'Pica'