“So far, no one’s found a solid explanation for this behaviour. Since their iron shots, the sisters have not craved their regular non-nutritive substances.ĭr Howarth told Hatch “We tend to frown on using case reports, but there have been some where people with iron deficiency would have their iron levels fixed and sort of immediately they stop eating those non-food substances.” I sliced it into thin sheets and began eating it – this went on for a few months until my friends discovered a bit of remaining clay I had forgotten about in my pocket.” She said. “I ended up taking a small chunk of clay home with me. “I was playing with the clay during class, and I recall just feeling the texture and wanting to eat it,” Rula told Hatch. Rula described the first time she ate clay which was during her art class when she was fifteen. Her sister, Rula, ate clay, chalk, and cornstarch The sisters would mix corn flour with water then leave it out until it turns solid enough for them to snack on. Over the years Ayeh consumed substances like charcoal, clay, chalk, gyprock, and cornstarch. Her embarrassment drove her to become more conscious of her eating habit. “The fact that it occurs universally throughĪll cultures would suggest that it does haveĪyeh consumed coal about three or four days a week for over six months, until her high school peers discovered her eating habit. “There’s a lack of understanding why it should be that no one has an actual explanation for the consumption of soil and or that if there’s any advantage of doing so,” Dr Howarth explained. He explains that the consumption of soil has been observed throughout human history all over the world but tends not to be looked for in countries like Australia. “In our first study, there was about four per cent of children who ate things like soil, now in our bigger study, once again we get about five per cent of children regularly eating these substances,” he said. The results showed prevalence of non-ice pica in the study group was 9.4 per cent, and 3.6 per cent of this group ate soil.ĭonald Howarth, who co-conducted this study, is also currently involved in more extensive research on pica, examining 600 children over three sites in Western Australia. The study assessed the prevalence of pica in an Australian rural community, using a questionnaire given to parents of 223 children aged between two and ten attending the five general practice surgeries in the shire. In their study, they confirmed that a considerable number of children partake in eating non-consumable substances. That was until last year where Kuroush Areshirian and Doland Howarth released their study on the prevalence of pica. (Photo: Simran Popal)Īlthough the eating disorder is mildly recognised, there has never been a legitimate study on the prevalence of pica within Australia. Soil is one of the most common substance consumed by children and those with pica. However, evidence as early as 1985 suggests a pattern of pica among children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as autism. On rare occasions, pregnant women crave strange, nonfood items. The causes for what triggers pica remain unclear. Studies suggest that ten to thirty per cent of children aged between one and six eat non-nutritive substances, however they aren’t necessarily suffering from pica, as they are still unable to differentiate between foods and inedible substances. Other less-frequently consumed things include glass, light bulbs, metal objects, rocks, faeces, plastic, and the list goes on. Most common substances ingested include things like soil, coal, chalk, soap, starch, and paper. Typically defined as the consumption of non-nutritive substances, pica is more commonly found in children and pregnant women.

Despite seeing it regularly in these characters, serious discourse on the eating disorder is lacking in the West. We have been exposed to pica as a form of entertainment from time to time on popular television shows like My Strange Addiction.

Pica syndrome first discover