Calling Thomas Sheridan a picky eater would be an understatement. The 35-year-old UK man relies on a very strict daily diet that typically consists of two loaves of white bread, three bowls of Shredded Wheat cereal, and lots of sweets — he has never tasted meat, fruit or vegetables. Because of his nutritionally deficient diet, he has to take protein and vitamin supplements, but only those with a taste profile he can stomach. Sheridan — who has been diagnosed with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) — says that the mere thought of eating meat, vegetables, fruit or eggs is enough to make him sick. Sheridan’s parents recalled that he began rejecting certain foods when he was just 18 months old. Doctors at the time suggested starving him until he ate what was offered to him, but that didn’t work. His father even tried offering him rewards to eat, but nothing worked. At school, he was permitted to go home at lunchtime to eat toast because he couldn’t stomach school lunches. As an adult, his aversion to certain foods has prevented him from leading a normal life. Desperate to incorporate new foods into his diet, Sheridan is now trying to raise $8,000 for hypnotherapy, but there are no guarantees it will help cure his ARFID.
