A grieving woman has been left “disgusted’ by food since dad’s sudden death and now eats just baby puree, rice pudding, and cereal.
Kat Wittup suffers from avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
The 28-year-old believes the condition was triggered by extreme stress when they lost their father Jim four years ago.
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Ever since his death aged 75 in 2020, Kat has been living on the basic baby food diet.
Kat says they’ve had to force down every bite since Jim died of COPD and an enlarged heart, and even has to drink a powdered vitamin drink to make up for the nutrients they’re lacking.
According to the charity Beat Eating Disorders, ARFID is a condition characterized by the person avoiding certain foods or types of food, having restricted intake in terms of the overall amount eaten, or both.
“I’ve always been a picky eater,” Kat, of Middlesborough told What’s the Jam.
“I developed ARFID after a really stressful time when my dad passed away in 2020.
“I didn’t want to eat because I was depressed and low. Over time I was eating less and less.
“The stress gave me stomach problems. I couldn’t keep anything down.
“I was living off coffee mixed with protein shakes for a while.
“It’s got worse every year.
“The list of foods I could eat was getting smaller.
“The texture had to be right. Things don’t taste the same anymore.
“I used to love barbecue sauce but I can’t eat that anymore.
“I have a nutritional drink for breakfast, lunch is puree or rice pudding and dinner ends up being cereal if there isn’t a friend around to get me to eat.”
Unemployed Kat was “heartbroken” when Jim passed away and has been to art therapy to help deal with the loss.
Kat said: “My relationship with my dad was love, and hate for many years.
“When he got older, he became the kindest and most loving soul.
“He was generous and caring and wanted to help everyone.
“He was a wonderful dad and I’ll always cherish that.
“We loved each other fiercely.”
Kat has lost 2st 8lbs since developing the disorder, shrinking from 15st to 12st.
Although Kat’s always been a self-confessed fussy eater, they used to eat a wide variety of meals including ramen, bacon, eggs, bolognese, vegetable soup, and cereal.
Kat said: “For the past few years I forced food down every couple of days.
“When I was fatter it was easier. Since not being fat, I’m tired all the time. I haven’t lost weight through exercise.
“It’s hard to get enough calories to get me through my day. I’m exhausted and I’ve got no energy.
“I break out in rashes, my hair is really dry and my nails aren’t strong.
“A bad cold makes most people feel not too good but if I get a cold I’m completely wiped out for a week.”
Kat does try new food but is “disgusted by every mouthful”.
Kat said: “It’s awful.
“I tried to eat a ham sandwich with plain white bread and I was repulsed.”
Kat believes without treatment, they could end up malnourished and with weakened bones.
Kat said: “My stomach has already shrunk but it can keep shrinking. I feel sick most of the time.
“I’ll eventually lose muscle mass.”
The condition also makes dating difficult for Kat.
“As for my love life, it limits where I can eat if I go on a date with someone because I need familiar food.
“It takes a lot of trust for me to let someone cook for me because I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat it until I try it and I don’t want to offend anyone by not eating their food.
“ARFID has taken so much of my energy that was already low from chronic fatigue so I don’t really have much of a love life.”
Kat feels embarrassed by the disorder and gets frustrated when people pressure them to try new food.
Kat added: “People tell me to stop being such a picky eater. My good friends are very understanding. I rely on them to get me to eat.
“Going out to eat is tricky. If nothing feels safe, I won’t go out to eat.
“People who don’t know me don’t understand. Explaining it is hard. People always try to feed me.
“I’m grateful that other people don’t have this problem and I get why they think I’m just a fussy eater but it’s so much more than that.
“It’s a real eating disorder. It needs to be taken more seriously.
“Some people are born with it but you can develop it and it’s a big part of who we are.
“People with ARFID need compassion from their friends and family.
“Nobody wants a fear of food. It’s an unpleasant experience.
“If I’m eating with friends it’s a bit easier. When good friends encourage me, I can eat some buttered pasta, a tin of beans, or something plain but I still struggle to choke it down.”
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