A teenage girl who has eaten almost nothing else apart from chicken nuggets for 15 years has been warned by doctors that the junk food is killing her.
Stacey Irvine, 17, has been hooked on the treats since her mother bought her some at a McDonald’s restaurant when she was two.
Shocked doctors learned of her habit when the factory worker, from Castle Vale, Birmingham, collapsed and was taken to hospital after struggling to breathe.
Miss Irvine, who has never eaten fruit or vegetables, had swollen veins in her tongue and was found to have anaemia.
Medics gave her a series of injections and started her on an urgent course of vitamins.
But, despite being warned that she could die if she sticks to her nugget addiction, she still can’t resist the fast food.
Miss Irvine, who prefers McDonald’s treats but also enjoys KFC’s, told The Sun: ‘I am starting to realise this is really bad for me.’
I have a very close friend who's son also has an eating disorder that is this severe since a VERY young age. She has taken him to a huge number of doctors, for both physical and mental health. The entire family has struggled. For this child, eating anything other than his one preference was equivalent to him being forced to eat bugs.
I hate seeing that the parents take the blame here. I fully believe the mom when she says she's tried various techniques and knows only a doctor can help. But, finding a doctor to help with this disorder is extremely difficult. Trust me, my friend's family REALLY tried and they really didn't find any help – local or far away.
It's too bad the mom couldn't find a support system, though. My friend does something brilliant, in my opinion. Their family doctor gave them this goo that is all vitamins. They make his preferred food every single day with it. This way, the nutrients are in and they've worked around the disorder as best they can. And, he's as healthy as any other teen I know. Yeah, my friend still worries but you do what you can. The mom in this article seems like she would have been willing to make home-cooked modified nuggets each day for her kid that were fully fortified and healthier. If I hadn't known someone who had dealt with this, I'm not sure I would have come up with that idea.