What Is Pica Eating Disorder?
Pica is a less common eating disorder compared to anorexia and bulimia, but this eating disorder still has negative effects on individuals. Pica occurs when individuals eat items without nutritional value, such as ice. Although they may consume harmless items, the disorder can progress and take a dangerous turn, but treatment is available.
What Is Pica?
Pica is known as an eating disorder, where instead of eating foods, individuals consume things that carry no nutritional value, such as ice and other dangerous items, such as soap, dirt, paint, glue, and metal. Pica comes from the Eurasian magpie, a bird species known for eating unusual objects (Cleveland Clinic). Pica occurs primarily in children and pregnant women and is usually temporary.
This eating disorder is also prevalent in those who have mental health conditions, such as autism or schizophrenia. However, the consequences of consuming these items can lead to severe health conditions, such as tooth damage and lead poisoning. Because there are no tests for pica, simple bloodwork from a doctor can detect if an individual has low zinc or iron levels (Holm, 2023). Pica can cause other conditions: anemia, electrolyte imbalances, and constipation.
What Causes Pica?
Although there is no known cause of pica, research has shown that specific factors contribute to the development of this eating disorder. People with mental health conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, may use pica as a coping mechanism (Holm, 2023). In certain cultures, specific types of pica are common, such as eating dirt at El Santuario de Chimayó in New Mexico (Cleveland Clinic). Because pica occurs more commonly in children, they may use pica as a coping mechanism for dealing with challenging situations, such as abuse or poverty.
How Is Pica Treated?
Doctors can determine if individuals are experiencing pica through testing. Doctors recommend chelation therapy if individuals eat harmful items, such as paint chips (Holm, 2023). Individuals may engage with medical professionals in mild adverse and behavioral therapies to help them change their behaviors, avoid using non-food items, and develop better-coping mechanisms.
BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™, located in New York City, offers free consultation calls to help you explore next steps. We provide in-person programming seven days a week and are in-network with UnitedHealthcare (UHC), Cigna, and Oscar, with Aetna coverage coming soon. Support is available, and recovery is possible. Schedule a free consultation call with our admissions team here and stay connected with BALANCE on Instagram here.
References
Holm, G. (2023, April 24). Everything you need to know about Pica. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/pica#diagnosis
Professional, C. C. M. (n.d.). Pica. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22944-pica
This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Regina Colie (she/her).
Regina Colie is a blog contributor for BALANCE, whose previous work has been featured in Project HEAL and Nourishing NY. She is an alumnus of The New School of Social Research, where she received her Masters in Psychology. After attending Marymount Manhattan College, she had the opportunity to be published in Dr. Nava Silton’s book, The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Child, Adolescent, and Adult Development.
