hey this is a thread on why mocking “picky eaters” is ableist and just general pretty fucking shitty

MAJOR TW FOR DISCUSSIONS OF RELATIONSHIPS W FOOD / FOOD / EATING DISORDERS / really just everything that comes with this

if you’re going to make fun of me for this, misgender me, or be generally shitty just block me i don’t want to see it. my pronouns are they/them so if you’re going to talk shit about this (y’all hate being told not to mock picky eaters) use the right pronouns.

there are so many reasons why someone might be a “picky eater” and i’ll try to cover some of the reasons why, and why its shitty to laugh at them.

many picky eaters are neurodivergent. they may have adhd or be autistic or have trauma that changes their rltionship with food. this is NOT. THEIR. FAULT. it's widely known that many ndivergent people have sensory issues with texture etc, and ANYTHING can be a trigger for trauma

mention of eating disorders - what many people don't mention is that eating disorders don't go away when someone starts to eat healthily again. eating disorders leave being trauma for YEARS, sometimes people's whole lives. they might be uncomfortable with certain foods

additionally, i promise you ED survivors or those suffering or in recovery don't want to hear you making fun of peoples relationships with food.

someone being a “picky eater” is never something they can control. studies have shown that someones environment growing up affects if someone is a “picky eater” or not. if an adult is “picky” its likey that its because they were as a child, and their home-life influences this.

Now i’ll talk about “Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)” In the case that a “picky eater” struggles with eating so much that they’re becoming unhealthy, they might have ARFID. i wont be going into detail on this, but BEING A “PICKY EATER” IS A *REAL* STRUGGLE.

if you’d like to learn more about ARFID i would suggest doing some google searches because theres a lot of info out there and it might broaden your perspective

if someone is a picky eater not because of anything i said above, they might just not like certain foods? if you tease them for this and they say they're not okay with it, you're just an asshole. i don't know what to tell you.

TLDR; making fun of peoples relationships w food is ableist, rude and not funny at all, so listen to us when we tell you this.

also i forgot to mention, but it's not like picky eaters don't feel bad or anything. many face extreme anxiety when going out in public or to eat at someone else's house etc. that should be proof enough that it's not a choice

stopping by once again to say that i completely forgot to mention that many people have physical health issues that prevent them from eating either. you never know someone’s backstory. — if you think this thread is “overreacting” take a moment to look at the replies.