Mum who eats 10 sheets of paper a day says she ‘craves it like chocolate’ and never needs to shred her letters

YAZ Chapman first time eating paper when she was pregnant with her first child in 2015.

Since then, the 34-year-old from Hampshire has developed an addiction to the stuff, scoffing down 10 sheets of A4 per day.

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“I’ll fold the paper in half, rip it into strips, put it in my pocket then chew it upwards like spaghetti,” the mum-of-four said.

But her unusual eating habits aren’t entirely new, Yaz was diagnosed with pica at the age of four, a condition that causes her to crave non-edible items.

The stay-at-home mum said the condition makes her crave paper the way someone with a sweet tooth longs for chocolate – and eating it gives her the same sense of satisfaction

Her obsession is so strong that she looks forward to the postman arriving each morning, eager for the letters he delivers.

“When important letters come through the door, instead of shredding them I’ll eat them and shred them myself, in a manner of speaking,” she said.

“Rather than throwing them away or ripping them up I’ll eat them. It sounds mental but that’s the reality of it.”

But not all paper does the trick.

“Certain papers taste different and they have different textures. I’ll rip a corner off just to test it,” Yaz said.

“Some are too shiny, too thick or have a weird taste if there’s too much ink but if it’s a typed-up letter then I’ll eat that.”

She’s even tried edible paper, but it doesn’t hit the spot; only non-edible items ease her pica cravings.

Despite the unusual habit, Yaz insists she doesn’t face any health issues as she “doesn’t overeat” and drinks plenty of water to stop her getting constipated.

She said she always looked at ingredients to see if what she’s eating could be harmful to herself or her baby while pregnant.

She says her pica began at around four years old when she tried eating talcum powder, chalk and silica gel balls, which are used to prevent dampness in packaging.

She also had also stints eating polyfiller, cigarette rolling papers and dental stone, which became more prominent during her most recent pregnancy earlier this year.

Yaz said she’s waiting to be assessed to find out if she has autism, which is something people who experience pica often have.

“As a child I was deficient in calcium and iron because I didn’t have a very good diet but I’ve been tested while pregnant and all my nutrients are how they should be, but I still have strong cravings,” she said.

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She added: “The main concern is not letting yourself get constipated so if I’ve eaten a lot of paper I’ll drink a lot of water to keep hydrated.

“When I was pregnant I was a lot more careful about what paper I was consuming and I’d order it online.

“People have asked if I’ve tried edible paper but my cravings are for non-food items so it doesn’t hit the same.”