'OCD habit means I get stared at and laughed whenever I eat out - it's horrible'
manchestereveningnews.co.ukA man whose fear of touching food means he only eats with metal tongs says he gets stared and laughed at everywhere he goes.
John Junior, from Wilmslow, is so scared of eating food with his hands that he always carries a pair of metal tongs with him.
The 34-year-old's phobia developed a decade ago when he became poorly after eating cooked chicken. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features It made him think touching food would kill him and others and he began using cutlery all the time.
But John's fears worsened and eventually spiralled out of control in March 2018. The unexpected passing of his father saw his health anxiety skyrocket – meaning he now only eats with metal tongs. “Even when I go out in restaurants, everyone is looking at me,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “It’s so embarrassing. “I have to go somewhere I know and where they know me because the judgement is horrible. “I went to Pizza Hut and they gave me a knife and fork.
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