“I Just Can’t Physically Touch the Food,” Sad Reason Why Man, 34, Is Terrified of Eating Meals With His Hands

A video on TikTok showcasing a man’s distinctive eating style has garnered nearly 1 million views, catapulting him to viral fame. His unconventional approach involves using metal tongs to consume his meals, with a recent clip featuring him enjoying a burger. In a bid to shed light on his unique needs, he shared an explanation to increase awareness about his condition.

It all started in 2013.

John Junior, a 34-year-old English man, has an intense fear of touching food directly with his hands, making it a challenge when it comes to eating. To deal with this fear, he constantly carries 3 sets of metal tongs, which he uses for all his meals. “I just can’t physically touch the food. In my head, I think I will die. I’ve got it nailed down pretty well now. I can eat all sorts,” he revealed in an interview. “I even eat soup with it. It doesn’t take me any extra time.”

This fear stems from his struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental health condition characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive actions. Junior’s phobia began after a food poisoning incident, in 2013, caused by eating undercooked chicken. Now, the kitchen tongs offer him a comforting shield, ensuring his sense of safety during meals.

“I know it’s ludicrous, but it’s my intrusive thoughts. Everyone’s got to eat to survive, and this is the only way I can deal with it,” Junior explained.

His phobia can be debilitating.

Junior’s phobia used to be even more extreme, preventing him from eating anything but cookies. “I wasn’t feeling very food,” he said in a different interview. “I was shaking. I got into the habit and routine of eating biscuits from the packet. I only eat things that are easy to get into my mouth straight away.”

Although he’s now able to have proper meals, his condition still affects him deeply. “It causes anxiety and I have had panic attacks sometimes being out,” he went on. “It’s not nice; it’s like constantly being under control.”

“The disorder impacts my daily life hugely, it’s debilitating, most days,” he added. “I wish I could eat food and touch food like other people. It makes me feel alone and causes me anxiety constantly when I’m trying to eat. I hope it gets better. I have been trying, I always say you have to get comfortable with the uncomfortable for change.”

He is trying to raise awareness and inspire others to speak up.

Despite all the criticism his compulsive behaviors attract, Junior remains adamant in sharing his daily struggles on social media. On his birthday, he took to Instagram to explain exactly why.

“The purpose of posting me eating this birthday cake with my metal tongs is for awareness,” he captioned. “Awareness helps people somewhat understand something. You can never fully understand if you don’t go through it. We have to try and help people understand by sharing our experiences. It always helps people feel less alone and not to suffer in silence with how they feel.”

He also pointed out how online hate can prevent people from opening up about their own challenging experiences. “When people call someone an attention seeker or just click out of it, it makes someone feel very frustrated and makes them feel like they can’t express how they feel,” he wrote. “Please don’t remain silent if you are struggling with something,” he added. “The way you are feeling is valid, and we are human it’s okay to feel sad, low, emotional, and it’s okay to express how you feel too. Your experience will help someone else.”

John believes in the power of humour and is also known as The Duckman.

John has a toy duck named Charlie. He always takes it with him everywhere. It helps Jonh with mental stability. The activist pointed: “Charlie doesn’t just help me, he helps so many people on social media and in real life, mainly when I take him out, he makes people smile and happy. Laughing is the best form of medicine. It really does work, you know.”

His followers show their support:

• Laughter is definitely the best medicine. radiancebysabrina / Instagram
• The fact there are people like you in this world makes me very happy. bpd.bee / Instagram
• I know there are people who don’t understand this, just sending you so much positive energy and hoping they ease a bit. The Honest Family / TikTok

Each day witnesses a growing number of individuals courageously sharing their own narratives of uniqueness. Celebrities are also eager to share what the life with children with disabilities can be and how they are helping them to see the world in a new way. Such cases prove that parent’s love is unconditional and great.