As per your instruction I don’t expect you to care but, you actually know people like this? Many, even? And they are your good friends? :dubious:
How does their not wanting to try new things = delighting in being hard to please? If you realized this about them a long time ago, why do you continue to push the issue? It sounds like your outings are as unpleasant for them as they are for you. Why would they have to come up with “excuses” not to try something?
[quote=“Qadgop_the_Mercotan, post:118, topic:717381”]
As for the medical consequences of picky eating; there rarely are any of significance, in an adult. I’m a physician, and I deal with food refusers of every type here in the max security prison. …QUOTE]
Lawd knows the other health issues they have are bigger, and probably the impact on ten year mortality rates are not somethng you follow. But do you totally discount the literature, such as was cited in my post 89, that documents the medical consequences?
Yeah, variety is just like, one thing.
Without picky eaters, chicken nuggets and tator tots would go extinct. So there’s that.
In Odessa, are they called Tatar tots?
Schadenfoode?
I consider those valid cites about the damage that high carb, high fat junk food diets do to the population as a whole. I don’t see those stats as being about your average picky eater as described here, though. Was there something in those studies that correlated the findings with such a population as we are discussing? Something that shows that picky folks are getting diabetes and heart disease at a higher rate than the non-picky in our society?
It took 146 posts, folks, but we have a thread winner. Congrats. Well played Sir.
This really stood out to me too. I know no one like that.
I get the occasional :rolleyes: because I can’t eat any form of seafood. The underlying taste is simply intolerable. I never cause anyone grief with this, I can always find a good steak at a seafood restaurant (I find that seafood restaurants will almost always have a good steak). Yep, there is a taste that others may enjoy in all seafoods that I detest. Or perhaps they just don’t taste that underlying ‘flavor’.
Yet, my Wife will turn down gravy if it’s too thick. Not that I care, though I have to be careful when I cook. But I think that’s being a bit picky. The gravy is too thick? Really?
Yeah, I get the point that edible knapsackis trying to make, but the use of , uh, literary license here kind of voids credibility. I’m not going to pick his / her post apart point by point, but it doesn’t ring true at all to me. In fact, any time I hear someone say “all so and so eats is chicken nuggets” I assume they’re employing hyperbole. Since when did being picky= eating only fast food? My personal menu may not vary a lot, but I only eat fast food about once a month. Another reason why the whole “picky eather drive up health care costs” is utter nonsense.
it’s the Internet. you can say “everyone I know” or “I have lots of friends who…” and call that a citation.
It feels like ek may have some other underlying issues there.
The point I should have made many posts ago is that I agree it is obnoxious when one person’s behavior harshes everyone else’s mellow. Can’t go to this restaurant, so and so always makes a scene, yada yada. This is called being an asshole. If so and so simply doesn’t like what you like, but just goes along, finding something they *will *eat - even if it’s not their favorite- not commenting on their disgust for your food choice, and doesn’t" make a big deal out of" it, yet you’re still bothered by their dietary choices, then you’re the asshole.
It’s amazing to me how often this topic comes up. As a person who is picky and finds ways to deal with it, I cannot believe that you in the “will eat anything” crowd think you have it harder. 
I’m not sure what he was getting at, but my experience is that there are many people around here who do eat nothin but nuggets when we eat together in restaurants. Work or club lunches mean going to chains like Applebees, Chilis, Outback, what have you, way too much, because so many people don’t eat Indian, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, seafood, or Cajun. Those same people who keep us at “regular American places” order the same thing every time, often chicken nuggets. Maybe at home they branch out, but when we go out together, same safe thing.
Well okay, that’s not super fun. But is it your complaint that they keep you at the same "regular American places " or do you have some issue with the fact that when you go out together they order the “same safe thing” ? The former I can understand; no one should always dominate the groups’ dining plan. If the latter, why does that bother you? If you’re being deprived of going to more “exotic” places that you would enjoy, I get your gripe. But once you’ve allowed them to stick you with the run of the mill place, at that point why do you care what *they’re *eating?
The fun thing about eating out with others is that you get to experience new foods through them. Your friend orders something that looks good. They rave over it, maybe let you have a taste. Next time, you order it and now you’ve got a new favorite dish.
A meal companion that orders the exact same thing wherever they go is not playing the game. They aren’t sharing in the experience the same way that the other meal companions are.
That said, I’m notorious for ordering the same thing. Once I find something I like, it’s hard for me to let go of it.
I’m a very curious and adventurous eater. I love to try new flavors and textures. But if somebody isn’t, and it’s to the level that it actually restricts their options and those of anyone who wants to socialize with them, then it’s probably ARFID.
It’s often associated with other sensory processing disorders such as autism spectrum disorder. It’s not necessarily the same as supertasting. They may not be picking more or additional flavors as compared to most people, but simply have a very low tolerance for sensory stimulation.
It could also be food neophobia, (extreme fear of trying new foods) which as someone tried to say above, is sometimes combined with general neophobia (fear of new things and situations.)
Whatever the root cause, they are not enjoying this. If they are trying to stop you from trying something, it’s probably because their anxiety level makes it feel as if the thing is going to kill you or at least make you very sick. Sad as it is, they are trying to save you. Evolutionarily speaking, we needed these guys. As important as it was to try new foods, some were going to be toxic or even deadly. We needed someone in each tribal group who obsessively tracked what was and wasn’t good to eat.
Like all human traits, this one can be too strong to be helpful. And like many defense mechanisms, this one can get out of hand and become a detriment. Whether you choose to hang out with them or not, please don’t shame or embarrass them into trying new things. That’s not helpful; and if you are ignorant enough to do that, then a full-blown panic attack is probably not something you are equipped to handle.
Both. It’s partly what Monstro said, at least when I go with friends with whom I might share food. But with friends, if they were boring or risk averse or a food baby, I’d ask about it and encourage them to branch out.
With acquaintances or colleagues it’s a combination of
Yes. The last cite which specifically demonstrated
The chicken strip and French Fries with no veggies or fruits crowd that the op explicitly was describing are within that very low variety (0 to 8) of healthy food group and it was, in this study at least, more the lack of the variety of healthy foods that was more predictive of both cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
Yes, could be a confounder effect and some major confounders were not accounted for (regular exercise status for example). But then again the body of evidence all put together makes a very strong case that it is not completely what is bad about the high carb and high fat foods. The lack of a variety of healthy foods, especially real foods that tend to be high in fiber (like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains) may be the greater problem.
I am self-isolating and obsessed with food. I go out to dinner with people to interact and distract myself from food. The food is just a sidelight to having quality time talking and laughing with people once in a while. Food being the center of my attention is what I am trying to avoid!
I am very picky but I don’t turn up my nose at others’ food because of course it would be rude to make them uncomfortable. If I am going to a potluck I make sure to bring something I will eat, or eat ahead of time. I eat ahead of time if I am not sure I will find something I like, but it’s not like I won’t order something.
People who are rude at social events can definitely be annoying, fair enough. However, eating things different to you is not rudeness nor “not playing the game”. Get over yourselves.