British teen Stacey Irvine hospitalized after eating nothing but chicken nuggets for 15 years

istockphoto

(CBS) Talk about being a picky eater. A British teenager reportedly has eaten "practically nothing" but chicken nuggets for the past 15 years. And now she's paying for it.

PICTURES: Yum - or yuck? 20 freakish fried foods

Seventeen-year-old Stacey Irvine didn't think her nugget habit was a big deal - until she collapsed one day work, The Sun reported. When Stacey arrived at the hospital, doctors were horrified to find she had eaten chicken nuggets every single day and "never" ate fruits or vegetables.

"My main meal is always chicken nuggets every day," Stacey told the paper. "I share 20 with my boyfriend with chips (fries)."

A 20-piece chicken nuggets meal contains 58g of fat and 926 calories, which exceeds daily recommended intakes of 56g fat, and is almost half of the daily recommended 2,000 calories a day, according to The Daily Mail.

There is a tiny bit of variety in Stacey's diet, according to The Sun. Once in a while, she'll eat a slice of toast for breakfast or snack on potato chips.

Doctors diagnosed Stacey with anemia and swollen veins in her tongue, putting her on an emergency vitamin regimen. Stacey's high salt, high fat diet also raises her risk for future chronic health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

"She's been told in no uncertain terms that she'll die if she carries on like this," Stacey's mom Evonne said. "But she says she can't eat anything else." Since Stacey's taste for nuggets started at age 2, Evonne has tried everything, including trying to starve her daughter to get her to eat something healthier.

"I am at my wit's end," Evonne said. "I'm praying she can be helped before it's too late."

Is it too late for Stacey?

"She's not a lost cause," Nancy Copperman, director of public health initiatives for North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System in New York, told HealthPop. Stacey may not be getting a balanced diet, Copperman said, but she might be taking in enough calories where she isn't malnourished, so there's still hope she can take on more nutrients to improve her health. Bones, for example, can grow until a woman is in her 20s, so Stacey would still have time to increase her calcium intake. Copperman is not involved in Stacey's care.

She dubs Stacey's monotonous nugget-centric diet as a "beige diet," since Stacey's skipping out on colorful fruits and vegetables loaded in vitamins A, C, E, K, and folate. People deficient in these nutrients can have scurvy, vision problems, or blood clotting issues.

Variety is essential for anyone's diet, Copperman said. So even if Stacey only ate something healthier, like carrots, she'd still miss out on key nutrients.  People need a diet that's rich in nutrients, proteins, and fiber, and is balanced to contain fruits, veggies, whole grains and dairy, she said.

Copperman has 20 years experience counseling families on healthy eating and has seen lots of children go through picky food stages - called "food jags" - when they are 4 to 6 years old. Food jags are when children might eat a particular food meal after meal - like peanut butter - and reject other foods, only to one day start eating a new food like turkey exclusively, repeating the behavior. These jags are natural part of development, she said, except most children grow out of this stage of development, while Stacey appears to be "stuck."

What can parents do to make their kids have a more healthful diet?

Start early. Eating patterns are engrained, so try not to give a toddler sweet or salty foods from the get-go, as was the case for Stacey. Otherwise, their taste buds become used to salt, Copperman said - so when you try to force a vegetable on them, they'll hate it. Some studies have shown it may take kids up to 10 times to accept a new food in their diet, so keep trying.

If a child is still super picky when it comes to fruits and veggies, Copperman suggests getting him or her involved with the meal preparation. Having a vegetable garden is a helpful technique, because children are actively involved in growing and harvesting the food that the plate, making them more likely to eat it.

The Mayo Clinic has more tips for picky eaters.

22 Photos

Yum - or yuck? 21 freakish foods

[JennaTarvid]

I am tempted to believe this is a hoax done for money. Has anyone really looked at the photos? Who poses for photos after being 'rushed to the hospital'? While this girl does have dark circles under her eyes, that doesn't mean anything. I have those and they are hereditary in my case. I think this is a case of reporting without checking the facts. :/

[Sparkina]

No, I don't think this is fake or a publicity stunt, and I have seen pictures of young Stacey. She's not that thin. She's a little hippy. PLUS, her complexion is dull, her hair is dull, and in one photo, she has rings under her eyes. And can you imagine what her insides must look like? The dullness of her skin and hair -- and most importantly, the fainting -- is because her body has no nutrients to work with, because all this girl provided her body with was goop. Nutritionally dead, overprocessed goop

I think this is genuine and Mrs. Irvine is an irresponsible parent. What kind of parent -- what kind of adult, for that matter -- lets a TWO-YEAR-OLD -- an INFANT -- decide what to eat? No, it's not Stacey's fault. She may be old enough to know what nutritious foods are, but her habits and tastes are already in place. The mother should have acted like a parent and put a stop to her daughter's nonsense. I mean, who ever heard of NEVER eating a vegetable or a piece of fruit? I hope it's not too late for Stacey

[Resin-Smoker]

Two words..... Dumb Arse

[PCL1]

Never tasted fruit or vegetables? Nothing but mcnuggest for 15 years? And the mother, who supposedly fed her this way from before age 2 is "exasperated"? And, if she's at death's door, why does she look (and pose) like a model? If she's really got a problem, I hope she gets the help she needs, but to be honest, this looks more like a publicity stunt to me.

PS: "factory worker"? They still have factories, not to mention child labor (eh, "labour") in the UK? Time to bring Charles Dickens back from the grave!

[pak31]

The mother waits until NOW to freak out??? Maybe if she introduced the right foods to her daughter while she was still in control of what she ate, she wouldn't be in this situation right now. Guess what parents? If you don't give your child these foods, they won't know about them. Or at least do it as a once in awhile. I think the mom should be punished in a way.

[2happy2ride]

Apparently Evonne is not a very bright bulb. Allowing her daughter to dictate such absurdity.

[foo8259]

I know of a boy who ate only bologna sandwiches on white bread, so it's not that uncommon. Eating only the same foods everyday can be a healthy way to control overeating and weight gain, if the foods are nutrient dense such as meat 'n eggs.

[Malizor]

My goodness, I'm shocked that girl survived lasted that long on just soda, fries and chicken mcnuggets. I'm more shocked that her mother let her do that to herself. I think that's the age to set rules on good habits, eating and hygiene. Her mom should of found other ways to encourage her to eat healthy, then just give into what a two year old (who has no sense on what is good for her or not.) says. I'm going to use this as an example for what not to do with my kids when it comes to discipline and teaching eating habits.

[Michelhays]

Has ANYBODY on ANY network done ANYTHING to verify this story? Two tabloids report something sensational and suddenly US news sources are all over it? Irresponsible reporting; shame on you.

Maybe next time you could try some fact-checking, and then possibly have commentary by someone who specializes in feeding disorders. Seriously.

[cbswayne]

You sound as clueless as the mother.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

The mother is a moron.

Letting a child from 2 years old on decide what she's going to eat?

That broad is just plain stupid.