Pica is an eating disorder where a person compulsively eats things that aren’t food and don’t have any nutritional value or purpose. Depending on when and why a person does this, pica can be …

No single test confirms pica, but because pica can occur in people who have lower than normal nutrient levels and poor nutrition (malnutrition), the health care provider should test blood …

What is Pica? Pica is an eating disorder that involves eating items that are not typically thought of as food and that do not contain significant nutritional value, such as hair, dirt, and paint chips. 1

Oct 24, 2024 · Pica is an eating disorder marked by a persistent feeling or craving that causes you to eat things that have no nutritional value, such as dirt or paint. Most people with the …

Oct 22, 2025 · This article explains pica symptoms and health issues that may follow the ingestion of non-food material. It explains common types of pica and their causes, as well as pica …

Apr 24, 2023 · People with pica compulsively eat nonfood items with no nutritional value. Learn about the causes, symptoms, and treatment.

Oct 18, 2025 · Pica, mental health condition, a type of eating disorder, characterized by the compulsive eating of substances that are not food and that have little or no nutritional value.

Nov 14, 2025 · Pica is an eating disorder where individuals compulsively crave and consume non-food items including things like clay, soil, or paper. While more common among young children …

Pica is persistent eating of nonnutritive, nonfood material for ≥1 month in patients in whom it is developmentally inappropriate (eg, pica is not diagnosed in children < 2 years) and when it is …

Apr 3, 2023 · Pica is an eating disorder that causes you to eat non-food items. It's common during pregnancy, among children, and in people with mental health conditions.