The girl survived on Yorkshire puddings for 7 years – anything else made her sick

A schoolgirl who was addicted to finally eating a proper meal – thanks to hypnosis.

Eleven-year-old Tallulah Dent had eaten six of Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire puddings every day since she was four. The youngster ate out at least 24 days a week and even devoured a plate of crispy doughnuts on Christmas Day instead of turkey and veg.

She couldn’t stand trying new foods like cheese sandwiches or chicken, which made her feel physically ill.

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Her worried mum Gemma tried desperately to encourage Tallulah to try other foods, but she couldn’t get anything else to stick. She managed to eat a simple ham sandwich for lunch and the occasional slice of cheese pizza, but Tallulah always returned to her favorite buds.

Finally, Tallulah asked her mom to get help after trying a chicken and vegetable dish that left her in tears. Gemma contacted cognitive behavioral hypnotherapist David Kilmurry after Tallulah was diagnosed with ARFID – restrictive food avoidance disorder.

She underwent 12 intense weeks of hypnotherapy sessions and now Tallulah is trying all kinds of new foods. Gemma, 41, from Staffordshire, said: “When he came back from nursery one day he just started refusing certain foods.

“He used to eat chicken nuggets and that was fine, but one day he refused to eat them because he said they looked different. I made everything from scratch for my kids. He used to eat absolutely anything.

“I thought it was a phase and I thought she would get over it, but she refused almost all food except Yorkshire puddings.

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“He would eat a whole plate of them for dinner. One Christmas, she just ate a plate of Yorkshire puddings while we all had Christmas mince pies.

“I felt like I was a bad parent and worried about her health. She physically could not put any other food to her lips. You could see her red and shaking, it was awful.

“She wanted to try the food, but she couldn’t physically resist putting it near her mouth. She used to say, “What’s wrong with me, why can’t I eat?” He just couldn’t understand why he couldn’t do that.

“At his worst he would have Yorkshire puddings almost every night. The other nights he had pancakes or a ham toastie, but he was very restrictive.

“I would always have a pack of Aunt Bessie’s in the freezer or make my own. Going out to dinner has always been a nightmare. I tended to stay in the same places.

“When I went to a carvery I explained to the staff that I would only be eating Yorkshire puddings. We’d pay £1 and she could have as many as she wanted.”

Gemma first noticed something was wrong during Covid and started researching her options before starting hypnotherapy. Just a few months after completing her treatment, Tallulah is now enjoying healthy salads and steak meals with all the trimmings.

Tallulah said: “I only really liked beige food and Yorkshire puddings were my favourite. I just can’t get enough of them. I still like them, but I want to try different foods myself.

“Now I like peppers and noodles, curry nuts and dried fruit. I’ve also tried boiled eggs and fried eggs.”

Gemma added: “He’s tried different types of nuts, he’s tried fruit, breads and cheeses. Tried warmer food and pasta. He took her to Subway.

“I think we still have a way to go, but she will try anything. The other day he ate a salad for dinner. More or less we eat the same thing. She will try things she couldn’t physically do before.

“It made my life so much easier. She is very happy to eat salad all the time. Loves pot noodles. He takes her down the road of noodles.

“When I make a steak dinner, I’ll put a little bit of everything on her plate, whereas before it was just steak dinners.

“Yorkshire puddings are lovely, but they’re not very good at them. For dinner he’ll eat salad, chicken-crusted bread, tacos, there’s a big improvement.”

Hypnotherapist David, who runs clinics in Coventry and London’s Harley Street, said: “Tallulah was a dream to work with. He actually did well under hypnosis, immediately eating interesting and healthy foods, now showing no signs of ARFID with a free, varied and balanced diet. I am honored to have worked with her.”