What is Pica?
Healthline.
“People with the disorder pica compulsively eat items that have no nutritional value. A person with pica might eat relatively harmless items, such as ice. Or they might eat potentially dangerous items, likes flakes of dried paint or pieces of metal.”
NEDA.
“Pica is an eating disorder that involves eating items that are not typically thought of as food and that do not contain significant nutritional value, such as hair, dirt, and paint chips.”
WebMD.
“An eating disorder that makes you crave — and eat — things that aren’t edible, like dirt, paint, ashes, pins, and buttons.”
Pica is characterized by eating items of no nutritional value such as ice, soap, dirt, or paint. This eating disorder is usually observed in children, pregnant women, or individuals with mental disabilities. Pica is generally temporary.
Diagnosis Criteria
- There are no laboratory tests for Pica. Instead, the diagnosis is made from a clinical history of the patient.
- Diagnosing Pica should be accompanied by tests for anemia, potential intestinal blockages, and toxic side effects of substances consumed (i.e., lead in paint, bacteria, or parasites from dirt).
