If I had to eat the same meal for as long as 3 – 4 days in a row, I wouldn’t want to be touching it again for a long time . That’s why I cannot understand how 19-year-old Sophie Ray, from Wales, has been eating only Margherita Pizza for the past 8 years. The teenager hasn’t had a nutritious meal since she was two, and has survived on nothing but the cheese-and-tomato pizza since she was eleven.

Blame it on Selective Eating Disorder (SED), because Sophie cannot eat anything else without gagging instantly. Even a slice of pepperoni can cause her delicate stomach to turn. She has a phobia of new foods, so she’s pretty much scared to try out anything new. As with several other people suffering from SED, Sophie’s problem began with a bout of Gastroenteritis when she was 2 years old. After recovery, she was able to only consume cheesy pasta, lemon curd sandwiches and chips. As she got older, Margherita pizza became her staple food. “I love pizza,” she says. “Each brand offers a new flavor, but it’s all the same food so I don’t have to try new foods.” But she’s very particular, “It has to be cheese and tomato and it has to be cooked, I can’t eat it cold and I can’t have any toppings on it.”

Photo: I am Jeffrey

Believe it or not, Sophie hasn’t touched any fruits or vegetables in all these years. It doesn’t really take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is bad for her, but a slight variation in her diet makes her feel sick and just the thought of trying other foods causes her to gag. “A lot of people think of me as a picky eater but SED is a phobia. Asking me to try new foods is like asking someone who hates spiders to hold one,” she clarifies. Visiting a specialist a couple of years ago had no positive effect whatsoever on her condition. Sophie says she’s aware that her diet is an unhealthy one and that she would love to eat normally, but it is simply too hard for her.

Photo: Chi

It’s quite a sad condition, but there is hope. Nutritionists say that if Sophie would be willing to make a gradual change to her diet, her condition would improve significant;y. Some suggest that she could start off by adding more pizza toppings and then take it further from there. It is easier said than done, I suppose. We have covered the story of another woman with SED here on OC, who hasn’t been able to get rid of her pizza addiction for the past 31 years. Must be quite a struggle.

via Daily Mail