It’s the kind of story people tell their kids when they want to scare the little devils into eating their Veggies. But it’s true. A 19-year-old British man has been diagnosed with irreversible blindness from nerve damage caused by a decade of eating only junk food. And it didn’t have to happen…
If your kid is a picky eate, be warned: Such behaviour can lead to serious
consequences down the road if not dealt with in childhood.
The Bristol, UK man is not named in the account of his ordeal. But his name is irrelevant to the story. It’s a tale of dietary extremes seldom seen by doctors, much less reported in the media. But it should stand as an object lesson to all young parents of kids who might be described as ‘picky eaters’.
In the beginning
When he was about seven years old, the kid started bringing home his school lunches, lovingly packed by his Mom, untouched at the end of each day.
“I would make him nice sandwiches and put an apple or other fruit in and he wouldn’t eat any of it. His teachers became concerned too,” his mother told The Independent newspaper.
About the same time, he went off most regular foods and, soon was was eating only French Fries, Potato Chips, Sausages, Processed Ham and White Bread. But his parents remained unconcerned.
“His brother and sister have never stopped eating. They love everything. But he [seemed] just as fit and healthy as them. He has always been skinny so we had no weight concerns. You hear about junk food and obesity all the time – but he was as thin as a rake.”
Only when the lad started to lose his hearing at the age of about 14 did his family realize that something was seriously wrong.
What happened
After that, the kid’s condition deteriorated quickly and his vision became affected. Eventually, his was diagnosed with a condition called Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Typically, these kids often avoid foods with a certain textures, odours, tastes or appearances, or only eat foods served at a certain temperature. The condition can cause various types of malnutrition leading to various functional disorders.
The 19-year-old now suffers from non-reversible damage to the nerves in his ears and similar deterioration to his optic nerves called Nutritional Optic Neuropathy (NON).
What they did
As soon as they were sure what was wrong, doctors put the patient on vitamin and mineral supplements and were able to stabilize his condition. But the damage had already been done.
“We couldn’t believe it when we were told what had happened,” the man’s mother said. “His sight went downhill very fast – to the point where he is now legally blind. We are told the damage is irreversible; it’s been a nightmare.”
And the situation has reached out to seriously effect his whole family, who are now forced to act as his care givers.
“He has no social life to speak of now. After leaving school he got into college to do a course in IT but he had to give it up because he could not see or hear anything.”
The man is functionally helpless. He can never drive a motor vehicle or play a sport; not even read. Tell your teenaged son that, and he’ll freak out. Never drive? Watch him dive in to scoop up a double helping of Broccoli.
My take
Clearly, the parents were neglectful in just letting the lad follow his self-imposed extremely restricted diet. They really should have made him see a doctor sooner. Perhaps the aural and optic nerve damage could have been reversed had it been caught early enough. But the message is clear. Kids, especially in their formative years, need to eat right to become healthy adults. And that’s largely the responsibility of their parents.
Yes, the story we’ve passed on today is an extreme one and a rare case. But it should get parents asking what damage their picky-eater kids may be doing to themselves by restricting their diets. And taking corrective action before it’s too late.
~ Maggie J.