Food is the basic foundation that secures the necessary needs of the human body and ensures that it enjoys good health. Eating a variety of foods helps provide the body with the energy required to carry out its functions properly.
Although a person’s need for food is not an option for him, but rather an essential matter in order to be able to maintain his health, there are a number of people in the world who suffer from a type of uncommon phobia called “sibophobia” or what is known as the fear of food. .
How is the distinction between people with sibuphobia and dieters?
Doctor Roni Abboud, a nutritionist, said in an interview with “Sky News Arabia” that:
Sibophobia, or fear of food, is a relatively complex phobia, and it is difficult to identify people with its symptoms in society, at a time when a large number of people, out of preserving their fitness, avoid eating certain foods altogether. A distinction must be made between people who are afraid of eating, because of its effect on the shape of their bodies, and those who suffer from “sibophobia” who are afraid of food itself.
According to Abboud:
People with sibuphobia may feel afraid of eating different types of foods, or their fear may be limited to certain foods, as the signs of this phobia are the fear of eating foods such as mayonnaise, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, and meat, given that they are highly perishable or already spoiled foods. People with sipophobia also fear that they will get sick after eating undercooked foods, for fear of foodborne illnesses, and they overcook them, to the extent that they are incredibly burnt or dry, especially for foods such as chicken. Symptoms of sibophobia are the fear of eating foods close to their expiration date, foods containing unfamiliar ingredients, and foods previously prepared by other people. People with food phobia fear what is presented to them from pre-prepared food, and may avoid eating in restaurants, friends’ homes, or anywhere they cannot monitor or control the preparation of food.
Acquired and hereditary factors for the disease
Abboud believes, in his interview with “Sky News Arabia”, that the exact cause of food phobia is still unknown, as it can be due to various factors, such as learning to fear food, because of watching someone else do it, and there are also past painful experiences such as causing Certain food causes disease, and genetic and biological factors play a role in the development of certain types of phobias, or even through research and identification of the negative effects of certain foods.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or drug therapy
According to Abboud, people with sibophobia may suffer complications when they see food, such as high blood pressure, trembling, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, dry mouth, stomach upset, heavy sweating, dizziness, and nausea, indicating It often exacerbates untreated sibophobia, causing increasingly obsessive behavior, to the point where the person becomes malnourished, as it is very important to obtain treatment from a mental and psychological health care professional, who helps the individual diagnose his condition, and provides him with treatment that varies. between cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure to stimulating foods, and treatment through medication.
2023-07-29 21:31:11
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