Austin Davis, a 20-year-old man from Keystone Heights, Florida,
claims to eaten almost nothing but macaroni and cheese for the last 17
years of his life.
We’ve featured picky eaters before, people who only enjoyed things like pizza or french fries,
but Austin Davis isn’t one such person. Even if he tries eating
something other than macaroni and cheese, and actually enjoys it, his
body will immediately reject it and he’ll start to gag. Doctors say he
is suffering from a psychological condition known as
avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, where new foods trigger
negative physical side-effects. This condition is often linked to
traumatic events, and Davis was indeed diagnosed with Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder and removed from his home, after being physically abused
by his father. This has negatively impacted his social life as well as
his eating habits, but he wants to change.
“It’s weird for me to think of eating anything that’s not yellow,” Davis told VICE Media
in a recent interview. “I don’t want to say I’m addicted to mac and
cheese, because it sounds so weird, but my body won’t let me eat
anything else. I didn’t choose to be like this.”
The 20-year-old says he’s actually sick of eating the same thing
every time he’s hungry, but his body just won’t cooperate. Even if he
tries something new that he likes, his gag reflex will kick in.
“As soon as it enters my mouth it’s like a sensory overload,” Austin
said. “Even if I like what I’m trying, I’ll have an involuntary gag.”
Eating just one type of food, especially one that is calorie-rich but
not particularly nutritious can be hazardous to health, And Austin
Davis is fully aware of that. To negate some of the negative effects of
basically living on macaroni and cheese, the 20-year-old Florida man
works out four times a week. Apart from trying to stay in shape, he is
also seeing a therapist who understands his condition.
“I definitely know that I have to maintain physical activity to keep
myself fit,” Davis said. “It’s to counteract my terrible, awful
carb-filled diet.”
Austin enjoys various brands of mac and cheese, from Kraft Deluxe to
Annie’s or Bob Evans, but nine time out of ten he will eat his favorite,
Velveeta Shells and Cheese.
