Why girl, 11, ate nothing but chicken nuggets

A mum labelled her daughter’s “fussy eating” as a “mystery” until she reached out to a therapist who revealed what was really wrong.

Jessica Thompson, 11, has finally broken her 10-year streak of eating only chicken nuggets due to her struggle with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Jessica’s obsession with breaded chicken bites began when she was about 18 months old, the NY Post reports.

The young girl’s mum Julia Cain, 49, told the Mercury Press the source of her daughter’s phobia is a mystery.

But the mum from Wilshire, England ultimately reached out to a therapist who diagnosed Thompson with ARFID in September.

Jessica Thompson, 11, eating chicken nuggets for 10 years straight. Picture: Mercury Press/Caters News

It would take about three weeks of work with hypnotherapist David Kilmurry to see the student branch out to new foods.

Kilmurry made headlines last year when he helped teenager Ben Simpson, from Wales who had consumed predominantly sausage for most of his life.

The therapist applied the same methods used to treat Ben on Jessica.

Now, the former “fussy” eater is enjoying whole meals, including fruits and vegetables, with her family, according to mum Julia, who is finally looking forward to Christmas dinner this year.

The work of hypnotherapist David Kilmurry helped Jessica Thompson (pictured with mum Julia) overcome her food phobia, so now she actually enjoys even fruits and vegetables. Picture: Mercury Press/Caters News

The graphic designer said that her daughter stopped trying new foods suddenly with her diet consisting of only chicken nuggets and, on occasion, other bland snacks, such as white bread or hot chips.

“Sometimes she would crawl into a ball to get away from the food,” Julia said.

“As a parent, all you want is for your child to eat.

“People really don’t understand that it is an illness, not just fussiness.”

Kilmurry’s treatment involved meditation and goal setting in the form of an “achievement chart” to encourage Jessica.

He knew the task was especially difficult for worried parents who aren’t equipped to treat phobias.

Jessica has now tried at least 24 new foods. Picture: Mercury Press/Caters News

“Jessica came to me extremely unwell, lethargic and anxious,” Kilmurry said.

“Trying to get Jessica or any person with ARFID to consume is like trying to get an arachnophobe to hold a spider,” he explained.

“It sends panic through a person’s body — retching, gagging and vomiting — just at the thought of an unsafe or new food.”

Since working with Kilmurry, Jessica has now tried at least 24 new foods, her mum said. “And even though she hasn’t liked all of them, this is a massive step forward for her.”

“It’s nothing short of a miracle that Jessica can eat a full plate of food now,” Julia added.

“We hadn’t eaten a meal together as a family for years, and now we can.”

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Why girl, 11, ate nothing but chicken nuggets