Just when you thought your diet was really bad

There's nothing more irritating than the silly hairs which stick to the carpet - so difficult to vacuum up. Well, the unfortunate Ms. Alekseeva from Kyrgyzstan found an interesting solution: She spent years picking up these hairs and eating them. She loves hair so much she even chewed the ends off hers. Good source of protein perhaps?

Either way, the poor lady had to undergo emergency surgery for a complete blockage of her stomach from the 4kg hairball which developed there. It prevented her from eating and drinking and would have led to her imminent death.

Just when you thought those doughnuts you overate were the worst thing you could do....we are a strange species, aren't we?

Perhaps someone will invent the hairball diet - an alternative to gastric bands or bypasses....eat just enough hair to partially block your stomach and feign satiety. I sincerely hope not.

There is actually a name for a lesser known eating disorder which promotes the eating of non food items: it is called pica. More common in pregnant women, pica is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder where a person will focus in on one type of non food item and eat significant quantities of it. That item can range from soil, baby powder and paint chips to bathroom deodorisers. As you can well imagine, it carries a high risk of leading to poisoning, which can be life threatening. So as much as it can seem weird, or funny, please do seek help if you find yourself snacking on something which is clearly not food - it is more common than people think. It will also likely become worse with time.

Meanwhile, be sure to vacuum up those hairs - try not to eat them.