Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news of contaminated food
We present a case of a woman in her early 30s who developed severe obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms following exposure to news reports about instant noodles allegedly contaminated with a carcinogenic substance. The news triggered an overwhelming fear of ingesting harmful food associated with p...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118079/ |
| _version_ | 1848867424226508800 |
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| author | Masiran, Ruziana Abdul Latib, Farah Adiba Maliha |
| author_facet | Masiran, Ruziana Abdul Latib, Farah Adiba Maliha |
| author_sort | Masiran, Ruziana |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | We present a case of a woman in her early 30s who developed severe obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms following exposure to news reports about instant noodles allegedly contaminated with a carcinogenic substance. The news triggered an overwhelming fear of ingesting harmful food associated with persistent and intrusive thoughts about contamination in this patient. As a result, she adopted extreme food avoidance behaviours and restricted her oral intake for two weeks, causing significant weight loss and anxiety. Following a visit to her psychiatrist and a prescription for a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, her eating behaviours improved, and she could take her food without overwhelming fear. This case shows how OCD may mimic eating disorders and highlights how food-related obsessions can severely impact health. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:36:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-118079 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:36:16Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1180792025-06-24T04:31:16Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118079/ Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news of contaminated food Masiran, Ruziana Abdul Latib, Farah Adiba Maliha We present a case of a woman in her early 30s who developed severe obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms following exposure to news reports about instant noodles allegedly contaminated with a carcinogenic substance. The news triggered an overwhelming fear of ingesting harmful food associated with persistent and intrusive thoughts about contamination in this patient. As a result, she adopted extreme food avoidance behaviours and restricted her oral intake for two weeks, causing significant weight loss and anxiety. Following a visit to her psychiatrist and a prescription for a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, her eating behaviours improved, and she could take her food without overwhelming fear. This case shows how OCD may mimic eating disorders and highlights how food-related obsessions can severely impact health. BMJ Publishing Group 2024 Article PeerReviewed Masiran, Ruziana and Abdul Latib, Farah Adiba Maliha (2024) Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news of contaminated food. BMJ Case Reports, 17 (12). ISSN 1757-790X https://casereports.bmj.com/content/17/12/e259974 10.1136/bcr-2024-259974 |
| spellingShingle | Masiran, Ruziana Abdul Latib, Farah Adiba Maliha Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news of contaminated food |
| title | Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news of contaminated food |
| title_full | Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news of contaminated food |
| title_fullStr | Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news of contaminated food |
| title_full_unstemmed | Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news of contaminated food |
| title_short | Obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news of contaminated food |
| title_sort | obsessive-compulsive disorder triggered by news of contaminated food |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118079/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118079/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118079/ |