Food phobia leads to cheddar cheese-only diet

by Nicole Weston, Posted Feb 19th 2007 @ 3:04PM

Remember when we heard about the woman on the Maury Povich show that had a fear of pickles so intense that it was causing harm to her personal and professional relationships? Meet 29-year-old Dave Nunley, from Wyton in the UK. Nunley is not only afraid of pickles, but of every other food product out there - with the exception of cheddar cheese. He eats about 225 pounds of cheddar cheese, preferably grated, every year and has never eaten a hot meal in his entire life. On the rare occasions when he is able to tolerate other food, he will eat a packet of potato chips or some Ready Brek breakfast cereal. Nunley says that his food phobia is so intense that his "throat closes up, making him feel sick" when he even considers eating things other than cheese.

Doctors say that the cheese is keeping him alive, although it is not the healthiest diet you could subscribe to, as he would quite likely be starving to death if he didn't eat it. He has tried "hypnotherapy, acupuncture and even taken part in a BBC show about people with eating disorders" in attempts to cure the problem that has plagued him since childhood.

It could be worse, though. He could have settled on processed "cheese foods," like Velveeta, instead of mild cheddar.

Source

Filed Under: Food Oddities, Ingredients
Tags: britain, british isles, cheddar, cheese, diet, fear, food oddities, health, healthy, oddities, phobia

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-21-2007 @7:58PM beanspants said... that's kinda wierd, but i had a friend in college who only ate cheese pizza, crackers, and drank dr. pepper. nothing else. said he had a food problem when he was a kid, and never outgrew it.

Reply

Vote upVote downReport

2-19-2007 @5:25PM Adam said... This is sad, he is missing out on so many great flavors!
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

2-19-2007 @6:59PM Liz said... Also, how bizarre that cheese is the food he's not afraid of. I mean, of all the foods out there, cheese is pretty weird if you think about it. So strange!
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

2-20-2007 @11:29AM superlemurs said... "hypnotherapy, acupuncture and even taken part in a BBC show about people with eating disorders"

Hopefully, he'll also try things like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and medication, which have good success rates in treating phobias. This is a sad situation.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

2-20-2007 @11:19AM Liz Newcomb said... I love that his story is part of a series in the UK! http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/programmes/freaky_eaters/

I love British TV.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

2-20-2007 @11:38AM Tom F. said... I have that same problem with Beluga caviar. It's ruined my life. My floors are littered with empty caviar tins. My home is surrounded by cats. Support groups throw me out because I have fish breath. *sigh*
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

2-21-2007 @7:26PM Mike T. said... It's a good thing he's not lactose-intolerant!
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

2-24-2007 @7:30PM Andi said... Ummm.....doesn't he have a little problem going to the bathroom, as cheese tends to bind you up? Ugh...
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

2-25-2007 @1:16AM MJ said... Is that why he looks yellow???????????? Someone please help this man..this is too sad!! REally i am serious. I too love the BBC! Eastenders anyone?
Reply