When Food Preferences Turn Pathological

Published on Monday, July 12, 2010, by Joyce Slaton / Edit Post

A riveting story in the Wall Street Journal about adult picky eaters brought out the Internet judge-and-tsk-ers ("Spoiled child, first world, Western illnesses make me sick," sums it up nicely), but also brought some attention to a secretive and shameful population of people: those who simply cannot eat more than a few foods.

The Journal didn't delve into it, but another major source of eating preferences/disorders (the line between them is fuzzy) is something called sensory processing disorder; this is a neurological problem that causes sufferers to react inappropriately to sensory stimuli: a noise, someone touching them, the feeling of something on their skin. Or in their mouths. Many people who suffer from sensory processing disorder have trouble with certain textures (lumpy, slimy, gooey), or with foods of certain colors (green is typically much hated; white, brown, and yellow foods better tolerated).

Whatever the cause, it's clear that adult picky eaters are pretty much pariahs. And they take a lot of abuse. And they can't help being the way they are, because no one wants to live like this. This My Life in Food episode delves more deeply (and rather heartbreakingly) into the issue.

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POST A COMMENT |3 Comments

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  • Pity they love unhealthy food so much. Serotonin junkies?

  • The above article is really interesting. I read the entire article and watched the video. I was watching with the intent to figure out if my dad was a picky eater. My dad may or may not be a picky eater, but the cases in the video are really extreme. I mean being afraid of vegetables and fruits? Come on!

    My dad won't eat anything healthy, but I'm not sure if he a condition or not. I offered...+READ

    The above article is really interesting. I read the entire article and watched the video. I was watching with the intent to figure out if my dad was a picky eater. My dad may or may not be a picky eater, but the cases in the video are really extreme. I mean being afraid of vegetables and fruits? Come on!

    My dad won't eat anything healthy, but I'm not sure if he a condition or not. I offered him a fruit smoothie every few days for months now. Once he took one sip said it was good and wouldn't drink anymore. Yet, my dad loves orange soda and coke. My dad's eating habits seem so random, he lets things go bad in the fridge. I know my dad cares a lot about mouth feel, way more than me, maybe I'll go easier on the old man. I just thought he was being difficult.-COLLAPSE

  • My son has a lot of these issues - strong gag reflex. He is just a baby though.
    One thing completely unrelated to people with such issues - I find most green vegetables totally botched in "Western cuisine". Contrast it to a Chinese stirfry or a Thai curry where the flavours are so tasty!