Talk:Cibophobia/@comment-104.152.129.77-20171025174208/@comment-5.80.239.98-20190224203425

'People who are allergic to food would more readily lead to cibophobia. ... Treatment may involve desensitization wherein the feared food is gradually introduced until one is not anymore scared of eating the particular food.' Ah, yes, all the more reason to simply assume that feeding more dairy to people who are lactose intolerant or bricks of tofu (soybean curd) to people who are allergic to soy is a great idea, because all these allergies are just in our heads and have never caused anyone any medical problems.

Well, except for people eating shellfish, then going to the ER to treat anaphylactic shock. Or people, like me, who gain 3 inches of bloat in their waist in 15 minutes and end up severly constipated for days because of all the concentrated soy protein added to nearly everything as a filler. Or people like my dad who ended up in the ER as a baby before my grandma learned that he was lactose intolerant. Or people who should avoid bananas, kale, dairy, russet potatoes, etc. due to the high potassium content after they've been diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. Or diabetics who end up eating too many carbs and go into a diabetic coma after hitting a blood glucose level of 300 or more. Or, really, anyone who has a perfectly valid, medically proven allergy or intolerance of a certain type of food or who has other medical issues that require a special diet.

Phobias are irrational fears. Avoiding certain foods as per a doctor's advise isn't fear and is perfectly rational. Don't conflate the two.