Tallulah Dent, 12, was diagnosed with an eating disorder in 2024 after refusing to have any food other than Yorkshire puddings – her mum had initially believed she was just being ‘fussy’
A mum thought her daughter was just being “naughty” when she would only eat Yorkshire puddings – but it turned out she was suffering from an eating disorder. Tallulah Dent, 12, was diagnosed with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in 2024 after a “disastrous” restaurant trip left her in tears.
Stay-at-home mum Gemma, 42, had never heard of the eating disorder before, and had initially thought Tallulah was simply “fussy.” According to the Beat Eating Disorders charity, ARFID cases have surged fivefold since 2018, leaving Gemma among many mums forced to learn about the disorder and seek treatment. She opted to pay for a hypnotherapist to treat Tallulah, claiming she didn’t meet the threshold for receiving treatment under CAMHS.
READ MORE: Shoppers heap praise on £20 gum serum that ‘works wonders’ and helps ‘reduce inflammation’
Gemma, from Stafford, said: “When you think of eating disorders, you think of anorexia or bulimia – to be honest, I just thought Tallulah was playing up and being naughty. We tried to get her to eat different food, but she just wouldn’t do it. It was only after we did some research, that we thought: ‘That does sound like her, actually.’
“My concern was that it would get worse, the older she got.” From the age of four, Tallulah’s diet was limited – her biggest “safe” food being Yorkshire puddings.
The 12-year-old would eat them with her dinner every night, amounting to 24 per week. Gemma revealed that she would sometimes feed her daughter a ham sandwich or a slice of cheese pizza for lunch, but any attempt to introduce new foods would result in her feeling sick, gagging or crying.
Initially, Gemma faced criticism from other parents who accused her of being too “soft” for allowing her daughter to continue eating Yorkshire puddings. She recalled: “Before we all knew what it was, people would say to me: ‘Why are you letting her get away with this? When we were little, if you didn’t eat your dinner, you’d go to bed without.’ I’d obviously never heard of ARFID until I researched it, and I did think she was just being fussy.”
However, the situation reached a crisis point when Tallulah was 11, and a meal at a restaurant left her in tears, pleading to see a doctor. Gemma explained that her daughter was unable to eat anything on her plate – including chicken and vegetables.
Upon returning home, she “threw herself on her bed,” sobbing and courageously asking to see a doctor. “It was Tallulah herself who actually asked for help,” Gemma added.
“She was crying, lying on her bed and saying: ‘I think I need to see a doctor.’ It wasn’t just naughtiness – I could see how desperately she wanted to eat.”
After Tallulah was diagnosed with ARFID, Gemma sought the help of cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist David Kilmurry, and her daughter underwent 12 sessions. Now, Gemma finds it easier to tell people that Tallulah has an eating disorder – and is less concerned about being judged.
“I remember we went out to Wetherspoons with friends, and Tallulah wanted chicken nuggets,” Gemma recalled. “But they weren’t available – I went to the bar in such a panic.
“My sister ended up explaining to one of the bar staff: ‘Her daughter has an eating disorder.’ That was the first time I ever told a stranger – since then, I’ve found that being honest is the best way to go.”
Incredibly, Tallulah has now transitioned from a diet of Yorkshire puddings to a more diverse range of food – including peppers, noodles, eggs and dried fruit. She’s even started trying new foods without her mum being there – and ate a bacon sandwich for the first time at school last week.
Gemma added: “Tallulah just knows now, that nothing bad will happen if she tries new food. I’ve seen some really big improvements – even though we’ve still got a way to go.
“I suppose it’s about not giving up. To any parents wondering whether to seek a diagnosis, I’d say: ‘It’s not going to get better, your child isn’t just being naughty, and it’s okay to get some help.”
