Picky Grown Up Eater? Ok, Now I Sympathize

I often get impatient with picky eaters. In fact I think it’s one of my pet peeves, people who say they don’t like stuff, and refuse to even consider trying to put it down their throat.  But today I need to reflect and have sympathy; for there are millions of American adults who are picky and wish they weren’t.

A story in today’s WSJ contained a chart showing Bob Krause’s daily diet.  He has a slice of toast (with real butter, well toasted), and Ensure for breakfast, then a pack of Lance crackers and popcorn…and for dinner he’ll have grilled American cheese sandwich on white bread. Every day, it’s the same…it’s all he can eat.

The story includes a sad passage about a woman from Ohio who said there are only ten foods she can eat. If she tries to eat something different, say, like an apricot, her stomach will revolt. “You wouldn’t put a handful of grass in your mouth and chew it up, I feel that same way about spaghetti.”   It’s a clinical condition related to OCD, it’s textures that just don’t agree, and it’s very difficult to be an adult picky eater, the story said.

The Ohio writer is moving to LA, and is terrified of having to attend business lunches and eat what’s on her plate. Another woman said she hangs back with the kids at Thanksgiving so she won’t have to eat. She shows up after dinner time and pretends that she’s fasting. It’s all a lie and she is working with a clinic at Duke to try to get help.

So the next time I encounter an adult picky eater…well, I’ll be a little more understanding.