Eat Dirt – You Might Want To If You Have Pica
With all the fuss about H1N1 (also known as Swine Flu) out there, we thought you’d like to hear about a less scary, but very real disorder. It’s called Pica, and it might make you want to eat dirt, chalk, clay, or some other non-food substance.
photo by by maessive
The name “Pica” comes from the Latin for “Magpie” which is a bird that will supposedly eat anything. I guess it’s better than calling it “Capra” (from the Latin for “goat”). Some of the things sufferers will be hungry for include large amounts of food-related things like flour, starch, salt, ice, raw potato, or they will crave things like clay, coal, paper, soap, chalk, dried paint, or dirt. In some cases, people will crave mucus or feces.
Obviously this is not the healthiest condition to have. What makes someone hungry for that kind of stuff? Some say it is caused by a mineral deficiency. Others say it’s a form of Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. There are arguments for both theories. In some cases, the thing that someone ingests is rich in the mineral they are lacking. In other cases, it is linked to the mental illness.
Pica presents itself in children and adults, and especially in pregnant women. It also affects a large number of mentally retarded adults. One source says that some studies have shown that more than 20% of groups of mentally challenged adults living in institutions might have pica.
Sometimes the situation can be fixed by giving people the minerals they are lacking. When it’s a psychological situation, some antidepressants can be helpful. There is also an online support group that might be able to help people work through their issues.
No related posts.
Im eating chalk currently in my chemistry class, and it is so amazing. i might just go on a chalk diet.