The Cheesy Potatoes Lady Didn't Deserve THIS...

[@Drazex]

If someone hasn't eaten vegetables in ages, why would you give them a _brussels sprout_ of all things? Brussels sprouts are among the most bitter of common vegetables, and have one of the most intense scents/flavors. You'd be much better off with some fresh baby spinach or baby carrots, which can actually be a bit sweet. What would they offer someone who hasn't eaten fruit? A durian? A raw cranberry?

[@KianaDocherty]

that's what I'm saying lol. Definitely a TLC set up

[@neen42]

They ALWAYS choose divisive foods - celery, mushrooms, broccoli, brussel sprouts. Plenty of people who like a variety of foods dont like these. Why not go for raw oysters too!

[@PolarPandy]

I agree, people who love vegetables are not always eating brussel sprouts. It has a mushy texture and a strong smell. I personally love brussel sprouts, but I never boil them, I stir fry them with butter and garlic

[@Turtletoots3]

Hold on... Bitter? Never have I eaten a brussel sprout and thought it was bitter. I get that someone might not like how cabbage and its relatives smell like farts and that because people often underseason and just plain boil certain vegetables to mush, they taste bland and feel gross but I've never tasted bitter in a brussel sprout. I think they taste slightly sweet actually.

[@neen42]

@@PolarPandy i like roasting them with olive oil and seasonings.

[@poponachtschnecke]

I always want to see these people get a full metabolic panel to see how nutrient deficiencies might be influencing them to eat weird foods.

[@XOChristianaNicole]

And hormonal testing, also. Imbalanced hormones is a MAJOR culprit.

[@renharris6504]

I never did eat it, but when I was severely anemic, cigarette ashes started looking and smelling incredibly delicious. And apparently iron *is* found in cigarette ashes. I didn’t know that before, so I don’t know how my body was picking up on that. Deficiencies are strange.

[@angelica_eats69]

@@renharris6504 I struggled with anemia when I was younger but I never got any weird cravings, idk if that’s just me 🤔

[@renharris6504]

@@angelica_eats69 Think blood counts near 5-6 when it should have been closer to 13 g/dl. 😅 Ice and clay are other common cravings with it, though it does vary from person to person!

[@bee1411]

It’s mainly from sensory issues actually!

[@Ratatoothie]

They have literally NEVER mentioned ARFID on Freaky Eaters. AND they often suggest unsustainable diets for these poor people

[@bigchicken5243]

honestly i don't think they even knew ARFID back then( giving benefit of the doubt they do now) .. they also didn't even look into her medical history or doing allergy test or further bloodwork than just a simple standard test, because there are many cases where people are allergic to certain foods but don't know it because their bodies reject eating them altogether

[@500ccRabbit]

THE POOR SHOULD ONLY EAT LETTUCE!

[@ManifestingShrink]

ARFID wasn’t a thing until about ten years after this show aired. EDNOS would still have been relatively new

[@0909agnes]

​@@500ccRabbitmcdonalds is probably cheaper lmao

[@Roozyj]

@@0909agnes Doubt. McDonalds is pretty expensive tbh, at least here in Western Europe

[@yasintorkman4813]

J.J Virgin definitely got bullied as a kid for her name and uses TLC to take out her inner fantasies on actual victims

[@yasintorkman4813]

Obviously this is a reach, but you’d expect someone that is in the field of behaviour change would be more sensitive and take a more nuance view of habit change than showing someone a gravesite with their name on it

[@yasintorkman4813]

Very unsophisticated behaviour from the experts.

[@ElizabethUkeh]

Only in America is being a virgin a bad thing

[@yasintorkman4813]

@@ElizabethUkeh wasn’t meant as a bad thing. Only the peculiarity of the surname Virgin is the concern. It’s like having the surname Seahorse

[@Justcetriyaart]

​@@ElizabethUkeh I think it's worse in Europe and canada?

[@jessip8654]

My husband has ARFID. He's actually managed to expand his food selection a bit over the years. The solution was definitely not to shove a squishy unseasoned brussel sprout in his face, or throw a truckload of potatoes at him.

[@silverplug]

No, it's not helpful to throw a truck of potatoes, but it is very funny. Tlc is just selling entertainment wrapped in "at least I'm not as bad as those freaks" packaging.

[@gelflingfay]

One of my friends only ate plain roasted beef sandwiches, red hotdogs, chips, ahoy chewy chocolate chip cookies, and a glass of milk. He will literally not eat anything else. As an adult he started expanding his pallette after he started dating.

[@nicholasfry4253]

This is just a made up condition like how are you going to pathologise every single behaviour that people have?

[@maitredumonde9820]

I'm so sorry for your husband but i can't believe the so called experts are so bad that we have to explain something like this. The whole situation is so absurd it's funny

[@ClapsyPlapsy]

What about TWO truckloads?

[@Ratatoothie]

judging by the Slaton sisters' financial situation... I seriously don't trust TLC My Strange Addiction finds the worst way to 'help' the mentally ill

[@thatvalensteingirl]

The Slatons? I wouldn't trust them after watching a couple episodes of My 600lb Life and knowing they get those shower scenes and loads of nudity just because they offered a bonus.

[@NoSoupForYou-zu9dj]

What financial situation are they in?

[@TrTriTrippin]

why would they fix their content? LMFAO

[@avb.3023]

As a kid my mother forced me to eat a mandarin every day because I had trouble eating fruit (I still do) If I didn’t finish it fast enough she would hit me. Recently I was sitting in a lecture and I randomly got really intense chills. I looked beside me and my friend was eating a mandarin. These food sensitivities and trauma’s are real folks. (My friend now moves a few chairs away when she wants to eat one. She’s great)

[@clobberelladoesntreadcomme9920]

Don't keep accommodating the anxiety though. It will take over your life if you keep giving in. Go and hold a mandarin, sniff it, recognize that it has no power over you. Otherwise in a few years you're gonna find yourself terrified to walk down the fruit aisle in the grocery store.

[@avril6922]

Ohhh nooo those are my favourite fruits

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

​@@clobberelladoesntreadcomme9920please don't tell someone with a trauma how to treat it if you aren't a licensed therapist in a formal setting willing to put your license on the line. If you have no understanding of neuroscience and psychiatry, you don't get to do that.

[@Bryce_C.]

@@itsgonnabeanaurfrommeso you need a licence to suggest a solution?

[@citanon4355]

@@Bryce_C. in situations like this? yes.

[@MeiKasai]

I feel so bad for those two ladies. They both seem so sweet and trusting and TLC just went full "you're both freaks so let's make your life even more miserable mode". How sad.

[@darkydoom]

omg that poor woman addicted to sugar literally just drowning in depression and that's what they did to her. I hope everyone involved with producing this show have suffered

[@philosophicaltrucker9279]

Absolutely, that woman was obviously addicted, and while theres merit in reminding the person of the ultimate consequences, you dont fucking shock them cause guess what they are going to do? Go right back to what comforts them.

[@dreamerlotus]

I knew someone who went on the show and it was so extremely staged. I know they need to dramatise for entertainment but they made his habits more extreme than they actually were. Instead of his usual food they decided he should eat pizza instead, so one unhealthy food to another. Daft programme.

[@blugal102]

I genuinely can’t watch that episode because it makes me so fucking depressed. I don’t think I saw someone so deeply sad at that point. Where was the support and safeguarding in place for this woman? I hope she’s doing better :(

[@rachaelerin1]

I was young when I first saw this and I think it was a shock to the system to see how deeply, deeply sad everyday people could be behind closed doors.

[@minka1781]

Yes! She needs a psychiatrist not a shock therapy. Hope someone convinced her to go to the doctor.

[@kait112]

My son has autism and sensory issues - his food avoidance is to the extreme, so we are no strangers to his gagging and throwing up a ton of different foods. It's crazy to watch these "professionals" treat this woman's eating problems in the completely wrong way!

[@onyxstewart9587]

I'm also autistic with a lot of sensory issues. Just thinking about some foods causes me start dry heaving and there's only a limited number of foods I can actually eat. It sucks but I literally have no control over it. I was also very ill as a child and spent a lot of time in hospital either unable to eat much or vomiting a lot. Pretty sure that added to my food issues and gave me a lot of trauma and avoidance around many foods.

[@aristobrat4987]

see i would believe the autism thing but shes literally doing exactly what all the obese WOMEN do. idk if Kiana is even aware. so theres this form of codependency that happens in females where they revert back to a sort of child like mental state. She is literally SOBBING while being calmly asked to try a vegetable. autistic people often show anger or shut down when asked to do something they dont like. Also notice how shes a bit hairy. I suspect she has pcos , which can actually affect your cravings due to the hormonal fuckery going on. this woman has no signs of any autism , and actually shows signs of Mal Adapted PCOS coping. its more than likely she is hormonally dysregular and its manifesting in extreme toddler like emotions and is not AT ALL autism. i know you see your child in this woman because thats how basic human narcissism works , it can be translated to empathy for others, but not here. this is not an autistic woman. i can kinda really tell because i am autistic with extreme food issues and sensory issues. she shows absolutely no signs but ticks all the boxes for PCOS even her manish face as mean as that sounds. she is....manly looking. thats very much a sign of pcos (male hormone overflow in females)

[@aristobrat4987]

@@onyxstewart9587 anyone who refuses to deal with trauma is just weak by nature and not worth much. i used to vomit so much i nearly died as an infant. now sometimes i gag just thinking of food. but guess what ? if i let autism control me im worthless. so guess what i said when i was offered COOKED LENGUA , BEEF TONGUE ? i accepted it. iforced my self to feel it , to taste it , to take it all in and let the man know who cooked it "thank you. i personally do not like it , but i can understand the appeal , it is cooked well" its called exposure therapy you fucking loser , get used to it.

[@kamikazekitty4575]

No one is trying to diagnose her with autism, no need to have a meltdown

[@dismurrart6648]

Do you have any suggestions for dealing with that or maybe just some insight into what's going on? My sister and roommate both have very limited diets(for different reasons) and I think it'd be helpful for me to learn some empathy (and neither will speak to their issues they just shut down).

[@SamanthaMac912]

The crazy part is that deli ham isn’t even healthy for you so they shouldn’t have forced it

[@orsikocs]

It was infuriating to see 😡

[@quixoticsonnet]

That's what I was thinking. Of all the foods to force on her, they didn't even select a healthy food. She could go the rest of her life without eating ham and she could be completely healthy.

[@Crackpot_Astronaut]

And who just makes a burrito full of deli ham anyways 🤦‍♀️ That was so stupid on many different levels. If the goal is to break her fear and show her that other foods can be enjoyable and taste good, they should be giving her foods* that actually, yanno, _taste good._ But what do I know.

[@vimmiv]

​@@Crackpot_Astronautme when I'm high lol

[@Mandy_Moo]

It's proven to be carcinogen

[@jellyfrogfish]

dude i feel like anyone would react that way to a single BOILED brussels sprout on a small plate 😭

[@pheart2381]

Its like offering a vegan a plate of liver or something.

[@llenaaangel]

I think the same could be said about Dr. Phil too. he hasn't been licensed for quite some time and as someone who's been to therapy before, the way he talks to his guests is really problematic. especially how he talks to vulnerable teens, and the whole controversy with the ranch he likes to send them to. I also feel like the shock therapy segments are more for the audience's entertainment than for the betterment of the freaky eater. so the ppl watching can go "omg how gross" which is also quite demeaning to the person who needs help.

[@goblin6587]

dr phil made bhad baby by platforming her unprofessionally for content

[@drkatel]

@llenaaangel Don't even get me started on Dr. Phil! The man is incompetent, unethical and abusive to his guests/clients. Dr. Oz is another who causes harm by promoting scammy pseudoscience. Fame & money can be as addictive as cheesy potatoes...and opiates.

[@sarasamaletdin4574]

Dr Phil isn’t licensed to prescribe medicine anymore, but he has as much education as therapists have with psychology.

[@victoriaj4176]

Qqq

[@MsBrendalina]

The thing i hated about Freaky Eaters was how much food waste went into their "therapy". They would dump pounds of cheese into a truck full of filthy potatoes or line the ground with 1,000 hamburgers or put 50 steaks in a blender just to prove a point. That was perfectly good food that someone could have eaten! I grew up poor. So i think its a sin to waste perfectly good food. 😂

[@shmwmlam3953]

So true. I got really mad at how much food they wasted

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

I so agree with you it made me sick that waste of so much food.

[@Sunshineattacks3]

I know a lot of shows you’ll just old expired food that was already thrown away… but the food that they use looks FRESH

[@wintermoon7003]

I get it, but I also understand that it's probably the best way to get through to people how much they are eating. I'm hoping it's just fake food made to look real, because that's how it should have been done to begin with. Just make it look realistic so there's no waste.

[@NovelNovelist]

I'm a vegetarian and legit LOVE veggies...but I might lowkey burst into tears if someone made me eat brussel sprouts too. They're just really godawful.

[@virgofairy88]

For me it depends how it was prepared-if it’s steamed and unseasoned, then yes, that’s awful. But if it’s roasted with seasonings and bacon then I’ll happily eat it.

[@rubydown3329]

@@virgofairy88 yes!! Balsamic glazed oven roasted brussel sprouts are delish

[@zvezdoblyat]

I feel like people who grew up eating only lunchables have this mindset. Brushless sprouts taste like cabbage, there's nothing bad or disgusting about them. Unless they've been boiled for some reason smh Edit: brushless sprouts. Lol

[@ida6950]

I truly don’t get the constant brussel sprouts slander 😭 They’re absolutely delicious, seasoned and unseasoned. Loved eating plain steamed sprouts even as a child.

[@randyortonsbulge]

@@zvezdoblyatthe fuck I love all vegetables accept for Brussels sprouts and asparagus

[@maddymooo]

I have autism and sensory issues, on top of food trauma from abusive parents. The Freaky Eaters episode about the man addicted to mac and cheese was very triggering. Mac and cheese was the food I ate almost exclusively at one point. His and the "experts" comments were about how he won't make friends because of his habit. My parents would use that against me. They always told me people would hate me for my limited palate and "good luck dating". I wanted to cry after hearing how beaten down he seemed. I got actual therapy for my food trauma. I also found love during this, something my parents said wouldn't happen because of my palate. I still love mac and cheese, but it's not as prevalent in my life anymore. I'm also a lot more willing to try foods now!! My fiance encourages me. His support has meant so much. He actually cared. Instead of telling me I'll die young and will live a lonely life. I never thought I'd actually get better.

[@nouraahmad7376]

🥺🥺🥺🥺 ❤❤❤ this is so wholesome , I hope you only get better from here

[@fatimagutale3687]

I'm so sorry for what you had to go through love 💜💜 I'm glad that you found love and emphaty and that your doing well 😊

[@nehalilisays]

The world needs more understanding people like your fiance. I feel like a lot of people don't understand the psychology behind the whole concept of "not eating something". The assumption often seems to be that human beings naturally eat as much as possible and as much variety as possible. There is some evolutionary truth to that but it's also important for us as a species to have different tastes and preferences. If your senses of smell and taste are more sensitive, you're gonna be less likely to get food poisoning and you might be able to warn others as well. In some cases the sensitivities might be extreme and overall very unhealthy, but nowadays it's easier to deal with them - technically, because of the variety of available foods, cooking techniques and supplements. And we also have more psychological knowledge - it just has to become more mainstream.

[@maddymooo]

​@@nehalilisaysMy fiance is great about that. I'm a borderline vegetarian and he's helped me find alternative protein sources. I like to weight train and lacking protein is not great if that's your hobby. 😂

[@AK-jt9gx]

Wow... Someone like me? I'm not kidding, we have the same story, though I bounce back and forth between doing better and worse about expanding beyond mac and cheese. I've done a lot better in the last couple years since seeing it through the lens of autism (actually diagnosed) and ARFID (self-diagnosed) but it remains a struggle. The judgement from people can be the hardest part... They call me a "vegetarian who won't eat vegetables" most of the time. Other than the guy in the online episode who was addicted to mac and cheese I haven't seen anyone else with this particular issue... Let me know if you'd like to chat, lol

[@DudeTheMighty]

Good rule of thumb: If someone's gonna put you on TV, they're not trying to help you. Audiences don't want to watch someone get better, they want to watch a freak show. Producers know that, and they'll deliver that freak show, no matter how much harm they cause to vulnerable people.

[@reizak8966]

I love how respectful you are towards the people featured in these shows. Situations are often more complicated than they seem at first glance, especially when that glance is edited with ulterior motives.

[@vcorkleth]

The shock therapy segment reminds of the old-school parental technique of getting kids to quit smoking by forcing them to smoke an entire carton to the point of nausea. Sure it puts them off for a week, but they're back smoking and more addicted than before.

[@chynaanderson494]

Sure, let’s force feed a kid nicotine, a highly addictive substance. What could go wrong?

[@Erika-xm2mi]

My friend told me about a time when we were in high school and some NGO or whatever came to her school to preach not smoking. What they did was make the kids smell an ashtray full of cigarette butts and ashes that were days old. Because my friend's sense of smell is pretty weak, when she said she couldn't feel anything, they almost shoved her nose into the ashtray. Let me tell you that nobody who was already a smoker had decided to quit that day just because they were made to smell cigarette ashes.

[@hypnoteapot]

The woman never eats anything else but cheese and potatoes.... what could we possibly offer her to encourage her to start trying new stuff? How about brussel sprouts, one of the most universaly hated vegetable? and boiled at that, just to make sure it is absolutely foul 🙄 Edit: nevermind, you said the same 😂

[@nostradamus1162]

istg i have no problem eating vegetables but brussel sprouts and broccoli make me gag

[@rustyhowe3907]

@@nostradamus1162 It took me years before I could handle a brussel sprout, then again my parents would boil it to death and force me to eat it whole shrieking and screeching at me when I gagged and couldn't force myself to swallow it, then complained I developed excessive pickiness to having a borderline eating disorder. I can eat them now when cut up small and without my parents around.

[@hyperplaguerat]

They should have put cheese on a different veggie for her and not plain brussel sprouts. I like vegetables and wouldn't have eaten that brussel sprout smh

[@amagicallaura]

​@@hyperplaguerat exactly! why not give her e.g. cauliflower cheese??

[@robynbaynton14]

I love Brussels sprouts, I actually love all vegetables. But I know people who hate vegetables and why would anyone force an adult to eat them? Especially Brussels sprouts!

[@lindz758]

As a real therapist this makes me so angry, these people deserved so much better

[@MSJARELA]

Essentially, they are exploiting people suffering from possible mental illnesses or some sort of physiological condition.

[@deemo5245]

So they have no personal responsibility. We all do, but they deserve to get sympathy, for what?

[@Creepystalker102]

My sister has ARFID also as a result of being placed with relatives who did not respect her dietary wishes (she is vegetarian and they snuck meat into her food, plus there was an issue with food storage causing a lot of food to be infected with bugs. Which they would serve to her. AND be offended when she didn’t want it!) like most eating disorders, my opinion is that they arise from a lack of control. Slipping this woman ham without her knowledge is pretty much the worst possible advice I could come up with.

[@ElizabethUkeh]

Can't she leave their house?

[@tymondabrowski12]

@@ElizabethUkeh "placed" sounds like a foster system term, she probably has not much say.

[@alexevans2011]

Ouch. That sounds horrid. I’m also a vegetarian and have been since I was literally born. I’ve tried meat like twice but haven’t been able to even swallow it because it was just so disgusting to me so I can’t imagine someone sneaking me meat. The only times I have was an accident made by a restaurant

[@chrystianaw8256]

​@@ElizabethUkeh she was a child

[@forg_m6424]

I am so sorry for her. My mother would put some meat in my meals when I was a younger vegetarian and I would throw it up, since I became vegetarian not only for ethicaI reasons but also it disgusted me. I developed trust issues and now I don't trust her to cook my food

[@tylert271]

When I was younger I was addicted to watching stuff on TLC and now that I’m older I realize that most of their shows if not all are just toxic. I am however glad that you are analyzing these shows. I love the commentary!

[@spasticfurchild]

I wonder if they advertise for their “therapists” the same way as they do for their talent: “Hey!!! Do you technically have a medical license but never get work due to that silly ‘ethics’ nonsense?! COME JOIN TLC!!!”

[@KianaDocherty]

hahahah

[@petrosinella]

Well said!!!

[@SilverSkitty]

So true, I find it weird that Mike never states his actual credentials ok the show

[@Beepboop6669]

I feel like this show is really cruel to these people. They know they have a problem, they admit that openly and that’s why they’re on the show. But everyone treats them like they’re just being stubborn and don’t care, and they deserve to be ridiculed because they’re freakish and bad. TLC in general should be called the Freak Show Channel.

[@pedromorandini686]

The "shock therapies" from this show is not to help the victim. It's just a strategy to draw in more viewers. Doctor Mike reaction to the show perfectly captures how the producers think

[@tux_duh]

I HATE how they treated the people on 'extreme cheapskates' one of the women was relentlessly bullied for stuff the producers forced her to do for entertainment

[@Tinkerelly]

This is literally the meme thats like "My work here is done" "But you didn't do anything" *Swooshes cape and disappears*

[@TheoEclipse]

That show is the literal embodiment of that Sailor Moon meme. "My work here is done." "But you didn't do anything..." "Until next time!" *disappears*

[@tultiden2040]

One other thing that I absolutely loathe about this show is when they do a "test" at the near end of the episode to see if the freaky eater will give in to temptation. The one that comes to mind is the woman who had an ice cream addiction, developed after a divorce with her husband. After the so called help she received from these two, they threw a celebration at her house. They then had a server go to the woman and asked if she wanted ice cream- in front of everyone. She didn't accept, but it's pretty much like trying to give a person a drug when they're nearly out of the addiction.

[@leifmeadows3782]

Also, I feel like the ultimate goal is to be able to eat ice cream in moderation. It's not wrong of her to have ice cream on occasion, so being shamed for giving in at all....rubs me entirely the wrong way.

[@mose4143]

I always think of the pizza guy who accepted the pizza and ate it right in front of them

[@kristins8438]

you have some of the most well thought out and interesting content on youtube kiana love it

[@KianaDocherty]

big compliment!!! thank you very much!!

[@kristins8438]

@@KianaDocherty omg no wayyyy ahhhhhhhhh have a great day kiana!!!

[@KianaDocherty]

@@kristins8438 you too!!!

[@michaeldavidx7]

Fun fact: there is a gene that determines whether you can taste bitterness strongly. One chemical responsible for bitterness in vegetables is called PTC and some people can’t taste it all whereas others can a have a very strong reaction to it. Not saying that’s exactly what’s going on here, but it can be a factor in a picky vs non-picky eater, especially at a young age. :’)

[@_Chessa_]

If you feel addicted to cheesey potatoes the best veggie to try would be graded up cauliflower. It’s related to the brassicas family and has more nutrients than a potato but still is a very starchy vegetable and like a potato, will go great with cheeses. A fruit that tastes almost like a potato are fried plantains in batter. Different nutrients and really delicious. Tastes almost like a fried and sugared potato with seasoning and they are a bit harder than most fruits too. Texture is amazing. Starting our small with veggies and fruits is really good if you find them very hard to eat. Texture and feeling with taste is everything to people that find it hard to eat other foods. Love chicken nuggets and their textures? You might really enjoy chickpeas mashed and baked with chicken seasoning! :) I’ve eaten chicken corn dogs for the last week because of my own struggles

[@sabrinagranger5468]

You can also hide a lot of vegetables in the cheesey sauce. I'm vegan and when I make a bechamel or queso, I almost always use cauliflower or squash. I bet I could hide a whole serving of vegetables in her sauce to go with each serving of potatoes.

[@ny4nk0]

It's so sick how they intentionally traumatize and humiliate people for views while patting themselves on the back and pretending they're helping, then when it doesn't work they turn around and blame the victim for not completely getting over an issue that has plagued them for decades in the span of a few days. So many TLC shows are like this, they're awful.

[@Swassticles]

Just teaching her how to make an actual cheese sauce out of butter, milk, flour and actual cheese, instead of whatever weird fake chemical cheese she's eating out of a jar, would probably go a long way in improving her health alone.

[@matthewfranklin2137]

I have Arfid from a choking phobia- but I’ve begun to make my own safe foods from scratch when possible- and I try to make the “fanciest” version of it, and this has really helped me. I made chicken Alfredo from scratch and since the ingredients were similar, I tried vodka pasta, and loved it. Getting me to try a new dish at all is a task that takes months of therapy, but this has been my best coping strategy

[@vintagecameragirl]

To put this into context, I went through an eating disorder therapy and it took me 3 months, to get to the point where my councilor thought I should be left alone with my therapy tools. 3 months. They've spent maybe 3 hours with her total..

[@jisoo1571]

Suffering from ARFID I’ve always found these shows very sad. I also get made fun of for my eating but it’s so difficult to get help because there’s so much stigma.

[@coreyh6698]

lmfao kelly carrying the potatoes around the block is the dumbest thing LOL

[@joeyGalileoHotto]

This channel has some of the highest quality videos. Like me with food, I tend to have instant gratification for short cheap entertainment. I should be watching more documentaries like thse.

[@beclearlyawareofstars]

0:42 the way i thought they were dennis and dee from its always sunny 😂😂

[@Ttran778]

I remember when a kid was able to turn on cable TV, go to The Learning Channel, and quite literally watch open heart surgery in the 1990s. I miss actually good television.

[@KendlickLama]

The show is basically just HEY!!! Look at that weirdo, really, really weird- ok thats it, GOODBYE!

[@jamie6506]

I am so glad you talked about this! I'm an ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, the one discussed here) survivor and let me tell you, that disorder is *hell.* I think half the people on this show have it, and the way these "professionals" treat them is almost heartbreaking. I'm very frustrated by their behavior, and it isn't even effective. It hurts me to know that so many people find this funny or think it's what the patients deserve. It hurts me to know it further decreases sympathy for other sufferers of ARFID.

[@andieallison6792]

This show is old (from the late 2000s - early 2010s) and ARFID was virtually unknown.

[@__m-a-x__]

Thanks for another great piece of content! Man, the cheesy potato lady is such an internet classic!

[@KianaDocherty]

LOL internet classic!😂 Totally agree

[@lilyturf]

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE MONTH, THANK YOU FOR POSTING!!

[@KianaDocherty]

LOL time of the month... nOOO

[@jinxedfates]

misery porn is such a big part of tlc in general. i also have a lot of sympathy for people who also are "picky eaters". i have autism so a lot of the time ill have a specific safe food for a couple months but some foods no matter how hard i try i physically cant eat(i love the concept of sweet potatoes... but alas) the way people treat others with eating issues or other mental health issues can be so awful sometimes

[@danf7411]

Yea I'm also on the spectrum sad truth in life if you stand out you will be picked out. I don't think any amount of social conditioning acceptance will ever stop our monkey/lizard brains to stop. I can function but people pick up on it eventually and I still catch myself judging people who are essentially the same as me or a different kind of issue. Except in my case I don't smack talk or be disrespectful or mean of their only issue is some kind of mental issue.

[@hamsterstyle6152]

1:46 they served her a brussel sprout with absolutely NO seasonings and no butter on it? No wonder she gagged! They set her up to fail. I personally love brussel sprouts but even I have to admit they can be gross if you don’t add butter or at the very least salt, or if it’s cooked wrong. I would have gagged too. That’s not how anyone eats brussel sprouts for god’s sake. This is a horrible thing to do to someone with disordered eating, purposefully giving them a food that wouldn’t be that tasty even if someone with normal eating habits ate it. Purposefully making it seem like she is being dramatic, knowing that she already has a hard time eating. I know it’s TLC and that’s what they do, they exploit people because they don’t care but jesus, was she not already enough of a show for them? This is horrible. Nobody eats a cooked brussel sprout without any salt or butter on it. It’s just not done. At least not by the majority of people. I feel so bad for her.

[@hamsterstyle6152]

Thanks for hearting my comment! I’m so happy 😊 I love your videos, I’ve been binge-watching your channel all week ❤️😊

[@callmecharlie4250]

personally I go for the vinegar when it comes to brussel sprouts

[@joeyGalileoHotto]

Of course they did, they thrive off drama, that's how they get views! No different than on Hell's Kitchen

[@yyyy622]

I love roasted garlic Brussel sprouts but give them to me just boiled and I wouldn't bother eating it. Like why didn't they cook them in cheese like she does with potatoes?

[@OPPAWONTMARRYYOU]

I actually love brussel sprouts with nothing added, except salt during boiling. I feel like adding butter would make me gag lol

[@loredo659]

As someone who was once in a relationship with some who has ARFID, thank you. It was great to hear someone discuss the disorder in this context to highlight this heartbreaking issue. It needs more representation because not many people realize their eating habits, if toxic, do stem from this and has therapies aligned to tackle this disorder.

[@Erinski]

I kinda had the same reaction to Kelly when I first saw her story, and then I saw another story about a young man who only ate Mac N Cheese. I think it was done by VICE. Anyway, it did a much better job of letting him explain that he can tell if his meal was cooked in a different pot than what he's used to; that his gag reflex will literally kick in if there's too much difference from what he's used to. TLC really made Kelly seem like she was just spoiled and dramatic, instead of someone suffering from a very real disorder. She wouldn't have contacted the show if she didn't want to change.

[@Blue-dy2mr]

Okay but what if Kelly just can't eat ham? I can't eat fish, but it doesn't give me an allergic reaction, so it's possible that poor woman simply can't eat it like I can't with fish. I can't imagine how horrible that would be and how badly it'd send her back if that's the case and she hadn't stopped after the first bite- you feel like you might be able to do something finally and then you eat something your body physically cannot digest and puke it all up, and you're back to square one or maybe even worse off because your biggest fears have just come true and you can't eat new foods at all because they'll just make you sick to your stomach. Being intolerant of certain foods isn't even an uncommon thing, either, so how could "professionals" not think that could possibly be the case for her, especially since Kelly threw up as a child from eating ham specifically? And I'm willing to bet it is, because that one bite did make her queasy, and that's how it is for me and seafood.

[@viking-astronaut]

Because these "professionals" believe that any sort of food intolerance is just "in your head". Personally, I can't handle Allium, it's very quickly too much for my body, for some reason. Onions, leeks, garlic, etc. all trigger migraines. I often have to pretend to be allergic because people straight up do not believe consuming those plants hurt me otherwise.

[@sarasamaletdin4574]

I wonder if the “experts” thought she was faking or something and if they just can sneak in the food she will notice she will love ham. I don’t think they feel the “freaks” have real issues but are more stubborn.

[@catpoke9557]

@@sarasamaletdin4574 People often assume picky eaters don't actually dislike foods and if you just pretend it isn't there they'll be fine with it. They are almost always wrong. No, you cannot just pick the ham and onions off my pizza. I will still taste them. No you can't just hide an entire vegetable in my food. I'm not freaking blind I can literally see it... etc etc. They always seem surprised, somehow.

[@Xenosthewatcher]

I both have an Autism spectrum disorder and work with those with ASDS, so I have at least a general idea about "picky" eating. You know the most common way to NOT get people with ASD or something similar to eat new foods? FORCE IT ON THEM. It has to be on their terms, and yes it can be seen as troublesome (primarily to "normal" people who see these kind of things as a "problematic behavior") but you don't just shove food down someone's throat (metaphorically) and expect them to like it.

[@aika1202]

yeah exactly, i don't think im autistic but i have adhd and i've always been a picky eater, and sometimes people don't get that i won't eat for hours cause i don't have my safe food

[@hairyfrankfurt]

Reminiscent of that simpsons episode with Flanders’ parents; “we’ve tried nothing and we’re all out of ideas!”

[@theboringkaren]

The motivation part perked my ears up. Good to know that motivation is a component of behavior change!

[@amor4liz]

Ive rewatched freaky eaters so many times, i remember the girl who only at fries in a specific way and cried over a purple fry. So many people have trauma or childhood problems that i feel so sorry for but freaky eaters doesnt really help them that will stick forever.

[@steelfalconx2000]

Poor sugar lady, she wasn't even big just really depressed and they really hit her with the "you gonna die". Jeez Louise.

[@anahill2366]

I really enjoy your videos, they are entertaining and very informative ❤

[@obscuraxxxx]

I feel so bad for this poor woman!! When I was 11, I remember eating so much chocolate one night that I was throwing it all up the next day. I can still recall the awful smell, it's burned into my memory. It took a long time until I felt okay enough to try chocolate again, and anytime I think I'm eating too much, that same smell comes back to my senses and I'm grossed out all over again. I can't imagine the pain and fear she goes through with a trusted family member forcing her to eat something she didn't like and the trauma that caused at such a young age! I hope she's getting the help she needs.

[@dreambakes6007]

There was a UK TV show called Fat Families where they made actual coffins with nameplates of the families on and it fully distressed the mother of the family! It was billed as pulling no punches but it was horrific

[@KianaDocherty]

😐😐😐😐😐😐 wow

[@laampards]

oh god I remember that episode. the host was a right cunt as well

[@His-Most-Catholic-Majesty]

Did they at least let them keep the coffins?

[@dreambakes6007]

@@His-Most-Catholic-Majesty To be fair they are expensive haha!!

[@marvelousTUD]

I’ve never been this early to a video before! Keep up the good work!

[@pekpek8835]

I just love so much the depth and scientific explanations she gives in all of her videos, getting herself inside everyone's mind and story making you feel like you are in it too..Great job Kiana!

[@theowlyone]

I wish they also would've *added* things in to her current diet. I see that they somewhat did that with the lettuce in addition to the cheesy potato wrap, but to expect someone to just pivot from one thing to completely cutting it out is just setting them up for failure (like we know from like?? all fad diets??). I think it could help to maybe blend some sweet potato or butternut squash with the cheese, like a tiny TINY amount, and then inch it up, little by little. Then you are introducing some more vitamins to her diet while gradually changing the "norm" of the tastebuds so that, when she maybe then tries a butternut squash soup, for example, there is a familiarity there. Also it means the texture change wouldn't be as radical and disconcerting. Idk I'm not an expert, but it's the same kind of principle I used when I was looking after kids and wanted them to have more "hidden veggies". But of course, that would actually require genuine effort from TLC and clearly that's just too much to ask for /s

[@sabrinagranger5468]

Exactly! And it's so easy to "hide" different vegetables in a cheesy sauce, or add some roasted carrots, beets, even kohlrabi or roasted radishes among the roasted potatoes or fries GRADUALLY.

[@lmusima3275]

I thought it was rather cruel to put ham in her wrap. It must be traumatic. I have a phobia of peas 🫛 I’ve never liked them all my life. The more I was forced to eat them the more I hated them

[@MelB868]

You’re scared of peas? (Hugs) get therapy that’s worse than my stress eating get help

[@woodsmand]

TLC shows inspire me to lose weight so i don't end up on a show on TLC

[@stephaniekanoun4409]

Wow. This was so frustrating to watch as a mom of a daughter with sensory issues. We did almost a year of weekly therapy and practiced here at home every day to help her. It's slow, it's a process. Ain't no way you're going to help someone with shock and betraying their trust.

[@jamesc5751]

What goes on in a functioning hospital or clinic does not make for a good TLC show (would be "too boring" for reality tv). The best format tends to be retrospective stories (or a case study). I would think the same applies for psychotherapy.

[@maycontainnuts3127]

the worst part is the way she sounds at the end talking about how bad it is and how she cant hold herself back almost sounds like she now resents herself for this addiction, making everything far worse

[@catpoke9557]

She probably DOES resent herself. I am picky- not as bad as her, but during some parts of my life I came pretty close to it- and people shame you for it your whole life and insist something is MORALLY wrong with you, not mentally wrong. Insist that it's your fault and you should feel bad about it. That you're being rude and childish. That you need to just get over it. Everyone with a condition like this resents themself for it at some point. Normally I don't make blanket statements like that... but in this case, there really is no avoiding feeling shame over this for at least a little while. Even when you're usually confident, sometimes you'll be trying to eat something and it just won't work and you don't understand why, and you have to tell the person who just cooked it that actually, even though I said this is one of the few foods you can make for me that I'd like, I was wrong and I hate it and I made you go through all this effort for nothing. And when it happens, you feel like the worst person in the world. And that person, even though they're normally accepting, will probably eventually make a snide remark about your eating habits out of frustration. And then it'll all get even worse.

[@ChiakiHatori]

I love your thoughtful and in depth commentary! You do an amazing job at explaining the issues and providing background knowledge! Much appreciated! Keep up the good work Kiana!

[@justsomerandominternetuser6379]

Your videos get me really thinking, Kiana. Not just about the mental and physical health implications of overeating and lack of exercise but also about making more of my own lifestyle changes on my own volition with your help. You motivate me, and I’m sure you motivate others because of your compassion and concern towards people around food habits and exercise. You are awesome and never forget that!❤

[@veronicavieyra4392]

I'm sure she did too well with the lettuce and decided to up the ante in order to trigger her and make for a "better" show. Like, if her health is the goal, why start with ham? It's not a particularly healthy food

[@OhsoWoobie]

I love your videos and how you offer a better take on these TLC shows. Rather than making fun of the contestants, you have compassion.

[@user-yo5yr9yr2h]

I am someone that has an illness that was showed on my strange addiction. I won't say which one because I'm not interested in hate or judgement. But I will say that according to some estimates it's as high as 10 million americans suffer from it. So as someone that has an illness that TLC profited from making fun of and treating as an oddity for mentally stable people to gawk at, "insert profanities here". I never sought a therapist or asked my parents for help because of that show.

[@Annika1277]

I love the empathy you approach these topics with!! It goes to show you can be compassionate and tell an interesting story at the same time.

[@deaddoveinside]

I recently discovered Afrid while googling why I get so grossed out by food, even food I like, all the time. It’s so frustrating that my whole life I was called a picky eater when I literally couldn’t stomach certain foods

[@blair6421]

Thank you so much for discussing this! I appreciate you being light to this topic!

[@scarlettmoreau5557]

Is anyone else disgusted by the amount of WASTE they created in order to 'shock' these people?? A truck full of styrofoam hamburger containers? Really?

[@schneewitschen101]

THANK YOU. I saw that show years ago and thought their “experts” were dangerous quacks and the way they act seems like they have no appreciation for the potential consequences of meddling with peoples heads. I’m so glad I’m not the only one to see that

[@XOChristianaNicole]

I was up ‘til 1am making potatoes au gratin, with homemade cheese sauce, using buttermilk. When prepared with the correct ingredients, it certainly can be part of a balanced diet. In all fairness, I made it to go with steak and carrots with green beans - all cooked in tallow/leaf lard and butter (all organic, minus the Costco steak). I am autistic and this is my comfort meal formula - meat (beef is the only meat I feel satiated from), certain vegetables, potatoes or rice.

[@aadpiraat7126]

Sounds great

[@spectrvl.editing]

literally thinking this is just tlc milking this poor womans issues for publicity bc she thought they could help her. i feel so bad for her, and i hope she's actually getting the help she deserves, and is getting better. she seems super sweet and not deserving of this treatment at all. i've been on a binge of your vids recently and they're all so good lol keep it up!!

[@Hopespringseternal]

If we can “pull this off”?? They’re treating her like some sort of challenge and not a person. The experts gave me the creeps.

[@LauraDyehouse]

I have ARFID caused by medication taken early as a child that messed with my eating habits and taste buds as well. It's very hard to deal with. I have a large roster of safe foods now, but still if none of my safe foods are available I will not eat.

[@preneed]

i love the empathy you give to people struggling with their weight/eating, very sad how rare it is

[@Forcommentingpurposes]

I’m autistic and recovering from a horrifically painful relationship with food, so I completely understand where Kelly is mentally. The fact these “experts” don’t realize they’re causing her more harm than they are helping her makes me sick. It’s not just unethical, but all around cruel. Kelly deserves so much better and ACTUAL help, not those goons down at TLc

[@sophiamauve]

brother i just wanna thank you for getting into the content creation game. i found your channel through the dehydration video and i’ve been hooked ever since. food science, TLC/Reality TV, all sprinkled with your very pleasant personality have created a perfect storm of consuming most of my down time 😭 i hope you never stop making videos, you’re the best 🤙🤙

[@travisbaudoin3876]

She was addicted to cheesy potatoes before Air Fryers. What a shame, she was missing out

[@nightmarerex2035]

if your chips go stail you can unstail them with the air fryer.

[@ryniepan3038]

My husband struggled to eat veggies his whole life. He’s autistic and has a very sensitive texture issue. His mother forced him to eat them even if he threw them up and then punished him for not eating them, causing a physical and mental disdain towards veggies. I worked very hard to find a way to cook them properly so he can eat them comfortably. I’m proud to say he went from only eating overcooked onions to eating steamed carrots, raw spinach, cooked bell peppers, cooked broccoli, and grilled asparagus. I never force him to eat them, but he’s so brave and chooses to try most of the veggies I prepare him. It’s beyond rewarding to watch him actually get over his aversion.

[@Scottthespy13]

Honestly the 'this is how much of this you eat in a time span' bits seem fairly reasonable to me, because its really hard to visualize how much of something you're doing when its spaced out over time. Putting a huge pile of it all together can be a wake up call, like 'oh, shit, is *that* honestly how much I'm eating? Yea the problem seems clear now'. But then they go out of their way to sabotage any forward progress by deliberately going with the worst possible options...I've seen clips of episodes of this show where its a texture issue and they take the right *food* but change the texture drastically, I've seen clips where its an aversion to a particular type of food and they pick the one that even 'normal' eaters usually skip out on, its like they're actively trying to ruin any chance of this working. Like, in *my* mind if she only eats cheesy potatoes and hates veggies most of all, you start by like...making a veggie based cheese sauce like vegans make, and then it looks and feels and tastes like what she likes but she knows its veggies, so its a tiny step up. Then you do it with maybe a little bit of ground beef in the potatoes, or some fine chopped onion or garlic to modify the flavor without really changing the look, and move up from there. Small steps tend to lead to longer lasting changes.

[@johannaidelsonn]

I was an extremely picky eater for most of my life and it used to lead to a lot of arguments with my mom and other family members. It was really difficult trying to make people understand that I felt like gagging any time I had food I didn't like, they usually didn't take me seriously. But when I met my ex, it was a completely new dynamic, he loved cooking but wouldn't pressure me in trying new foods or berate me if I didn't like something, he made food seem a lot more fun and appealing, and over the years I got over it and now I actually love trying new foods ! I think those "experts" are pretty much the kind of people who believe that you need to be brutally forced into the situation that gives you anxiety to be able to get over it, a "tough love" kind of thing, very much like the kind of people I grew up around. But it just doesn't work for everyone, in fact I'm willing to bet it's the wrong approach for most people.

[@catpoke9557]

My mom shoved chicken into my mouth and threatened to put it down my throat because I didn't want to try it. Then wondered why I didn't like to try foods... and of course she never looked it up, because why would you try to understand your kids when you can just force them to pretend to be normal? ...which is also stupid because as is evidenced by the fact I never started trying foods, you in fact, CANNOT force them to pretend to be normal. All you can do is let out your anger on them and pretend you're making them normal by doing so.

[@michaelaberry1276]

I'd love to see your opinion on the UK version of the show. The episodes are twice as long and, from what I remember, they actually do a fair bit of therapy

[@jasonhaven7170]

2:44 You should've said "how little TLC goes into the actual treatment". Top tier Dad joke

[@Warszawski_Modernizm]

Hello!! Once again its your singular Polish fan :) Great content as usual. We got TLC in Poland, so we are being flooded with their s***y content!

[@KianaDocherty]

LOL Hi!!! Omg Polish TLC must be wild

[@Rylatar]

Two now. :) I didn't even know we got TLC but I am not watching TV and we don't have cable so there's that.

[@roxik1073]

I'm polish too, so it's 3

[@merliahsummers7777]

Thank you for making these videos! I love you using your voice to help these people & sticking up for these contestants of TLC exploitation. ❤️❤️

[@tonichan89]

One of the things that I do to compensate for my ARFID is to try and smuggle some extra nutrition into my safe foods. I've cut up some baby spinach to look like fresh thyme and disguised it as part of the seasoning. I also make pancakes with three times as many eggs, plus whole grain flour, etc. I didn't even know what ARFID was a few years ago and it was such a relief to find an answer to why I'm like this. A real answer. Trouble is, there's a huge lack of treatment options and research still. I'm considering trying out hypnosis even, all while I'm waiting for my treatment at a clinic I'm queueing for. They're anorexia, bulimia and binge focused, so I've no idea how they're going to tackle my ARFID. It's scary to think about. But I'll try anything. It's a very isolating condition and there's so much shame. I've felt like a freak, and a weak-minded brat. I'm a woman well grown into my 30s now and I'm more open now that there's a name for it... which does make people judge less.

[@catpoke9557]

Because I am mainly picky due to texture, I like to make foods that involve pureed or powdered vegetables. It allows me to eat things I otherwise wouldn't comfortably.

[@AndeLikeTheMint]

Subscribed. Thank you for addressing this so thoughtfully. I have arfid and ocd, and this show makes me want to cry. Edit: Never mind! Turns out your entire channel is an ode to your obsession with other people’s weight.

[@AltClev37]

Lol this reminds me of Dr. Nowzardan from My 600 Pound Life where one of his patients who’s morbidly obese says “I’m a picky eater” and the dr. says “you’re 600 pounds! You’re not a picky eater!” 😂

[@OriLOK2]

I'm a picky eater = I don't eat anything with low sugar/salt content

[@KitSouther]

I absolutely love how you revisit these episodes, and constructively correct where they were wrong. I think there are a ton of people who think/thought this show was acceptable and it’s not!! Thank you and I hope you’ve been doing well 🫶🥰💗

[@Fleur24]

I honestly feel her so much. As a person with ASD, OCD, ADHD and ARFID, eating properly and building healthy eating habits is almost impossible. I am fighting with it til being a small kiddo and thankfully I learned how to manage these issues to a certain degree so at least my body is not suffering due to this (even when it is awfully mentally taxing and not pleasant at all) but hey, without proper help (that TLC will provide anything but that) is awfully hard or even impossible. I am still gagging badly many times when eating something with a structure, texture, visual presentation, colour, temperature or some secondary after taste I do not like. Usually I am always trying to hide this specific textures with adding some I like to make it at least bearable (like adding chicken meat with specific spices I like into a veggie mix with the same spices so I will mask it at least a little so I can get at least something healthy in my body without vomiting immediately). The unfortunate truth tho is that for a person like me, ultra process junk will be always the most appealing choice for many reasons. One is that it is always same everywhere and second that it is usually engineered into being super delicious with many enhancers etc. and with no weird textures of after taste or whatever really. So yea, making healthy eating habits with crap like ARDIF or ASD + OCD combo is just super hard thing to do. Combine it with ADHD and ye, even when you finally find some healthy home cooked food that fits you, you won't make it bcs it is a lot of work. :/

[@Skiskiski]

Thank you for warning people from becoming an animal in TLC'circus. What they are doing is very shady.

[@vratyasvakyas6022]

I'll always trust Kiana, though.

[@alexislarson33]

My 7 year old daughter has ARIFD, and its truly a debilitating condition. It impacts every part of her life. She cant have sleepovers or enjoy herself at birthday parties. And she knows shes different, and its very distressing.

[@juliasmith960]

Fun fact: I picked up lunch on my way home today, and it was a cheesy potato breakfast burrito. I ate it while watching this. 😅