Sunday 22 October 2023

My Strange Addiction - Woman reveals her addiction of eating toilet paper as a low calorie snack and she spends over R30,000 a year on tissues

A woman who is addicted to eating toilet roll has revealed she forks out almost £2.2k (over R30,000) a year on the stuff.

Kinah, from Chicago, appeared on TLC's 'My Strange Addiction: Still Addicted?' to explain why she loves it so much – and she's even got a favourite type of toilet roll.


Kinah's been chowing on loo roll for over 20 years and has no plans to stop now, in fact, she claims it's the perfect low calorie snack.

"Basically I eat toilet paper all day, every day, it's so good, it really hit's the spot," she said.

Even though she knows people think it's weird, Kinah nibbles on streams on loo roll wherever she goes, whether that's work or the nail salon.

"I saw one person pull there phone out and try to record me, but I don't care," she said.

She previously explained that the strange addiction started following the  childhood trauma of leaving her family home to go and live with her grandma and aunty.

"I think I crave it because I love the way the toilet paper feels on my tongue, how it dissolves when it hits my tongue," she said.

She even has a favourite type of toilet roll, single ply because it's the easiest to eat.

"You don't have to go through all the stress of trying to rip it apart, one ply is like eating a PB and J without the crust," she explained.

Kinah's ex-finace, Anthony, admitted he doesn't understand the attraction to the papery snack.

"Toilet paper is not meant for human consumption, it doesn't break down in your body, this sh*t's gross," he said.

But as far as Kinah's concerned, he's missing out.

"They don't know the taste, the way it makes your mouth water, that crunch you get when you just stuff a bunch in your mouth.

Despite the average American only spending £150 on toilet roll each year, Kinah forks out almost £2.2k.

That said, she admitted that if she eats too much she experiences "stomach cramps" and has "a hard time going to the bathroom."

Kinah's condition known as 'xylophagia'- a "paper eating disorder" sees people "ingest either edible or inedible substances."

But she ignores the serious side effects of the condition to continue gobbling it up.

"Everyone's got their weird thing they do and that's just mine," she said. 

Health warning

You should not consume toilet paper or other non-food items.

Xylophagia side effects include stomach pain, bloody stool, infections, disease, bowel problems, tooth problems, intestinal blockage and tearing, and lead poisoning, but vary depending on the item consumed.

"Xylophagia is a condition involving the consumption of paper and form of eating disorder known as pica.

"Pica is an unusual craving for ingestion of either edible or inedible substances.

"Inhalants are volatile substances, which produce chemical vapours that can be inhaled to induce a psycho-active or mind altering effect."