What exactly drives people to ingest the inedible? Well, it may be pica, a condition whereby people crave and eat non-food items. From chalk, soil, soap, paper, or even hair, pica goes beyond the boundaries of ordinary cravings.
Dr Mzamo Jakavula from Cape Town, a general medical doctor with extensive experience and a passion for mental health advocacy, describes pica as the mental health eating disorder of an individual consuming strange food or non-food items that have no nutritional value.
“On one end of the spectrum, the behaviour can be considered a normal variation that is often harmless (e.g., in children who are just curious), and on the opposite end of the spectrum, the behaviour can be an abnormal variation of mental health that causes compulsive behaviour that an individual struggles to control on their own,” he says.
“Some mental health illnesses, like intellectual disability and schizophrenia, can cause pica. Also, certain medical conditions, like iron deficiency, are also known to be causes.”
Dr Mzamo Jakavula
Eating weird stuff
Mmathabo Tshehla from Mpumalanga, who eats toilet paper and paper about two or three times per day, says she’s been eating it since she was a toddler and is now thinking of consulting about the condition.
“I eat toilet paper and paper, which can be from any book, for as long as I am going to tear a little to feed my cravings, and it satisfies me and makes me feel happy and good.”
“I am a person who has had problems with stomach ulcers, heartburn, and extreme period pains, so I sometimes think that maybe it is caused by the non-food items I eat. If anyone out there is having the same problem, I would advise them to consult as early as possible before it’s too late.”
For Tshebeletso Lefa from Klerksdorp, quitting eating soap was a good accomplishment for his health. However, he now eats and swallows his nails, and he says it makes him feel relieved.
“I used to eat soap, but my friends used to laugh at me, so I eventually managed to stop. I now eat nails about five to eight times a day to reduce my stress. The urge to eat my nails is triggered by overthinking and stress, so doing so is calming.”
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Risks to the digestive system
Jakavula says pica is often harmless, however, depending on the items consumed, there may be certain risks.
“Some items, like hair, can cause blockage along the food pipes (intestines), and some items can cause tearing inside the intestines.
Dr Mzamo Jakavula
“Consuming items like soil may expose a person to potential infection by parasites living in the soil. Some people (commonly with mental disorders) eat faces, and are at risk of getting infections from that.”
Furthermore, he explains that the sole symptom of pica is the noticing of an individual by family members that they are eating strange items with no nutritional value, and it becomes more evident as the behaviour is compulsive (meaning it goes on over a long time and they may struggle to hide it because they lack self-control in this regard), and the individual will usually have a single item they prefer to eat.
“Additionally, they may also develop illnesses, which are complications resulting from pica, and may need medical assistance urgently.”
Treating pica
Fortunately, it can be treated and the most common medical intervention to assist people with pica comes in the form of various modalities of psychotherapy, including aversion therapy, behaviour therapy, etc.
“Usually with children and pregnant women, the pica goes away on its own. Pica from other causes will often need the intervention of medical professionals, as it is not easy for individuals to stop it on their own,” he says.
Jakavula underlines that the most important thing to do is identify the item eaten and its cause, and if treatable, then treat that.
While the cravings remain unclear, Jakavula advises that knowing the factors that influence its occurrence in one’s self is a good start to fighting this condition.
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