‘A pile of dirt makes me drool’: why some people crave and eat inedible things

From chalk to rubbers and clay, there are a variety of reasons why those with pica syndrome yearn to eat non-foodstuffs. But is this dangerous?

Mary (not her real name), a 20-year-old from Ireland, has just kicked her habit – of eating firelighters. “I got through a box of individually wrapped ones every six months for most of my adolescence,” she says, “but during exam season I would go through a box every three weeks. I would allow the firelighters to dry out in the box after opening them, as that was how I preferred them.”

Mary has pica (pronounced pike-a) syndrome, often classified as an eating disorder that involves consuming non-food items. But even within this condition, her version is unusual, leaving her feeling isolated. “I haven’t heard of anyone else experiencing anything like it,” she says. “Internet searches have led to poison hotline phone numbers or pregnancy forums, because expecting mothers often crave the smell of firelighters. But someone else must eat them like I used to.”

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