Erythrophagy

Erythrophagia (from ancient Greek ἔρυθρος “red bloody, reddish” + φάγος “devouring”) is an eating disorder characterized by the desire to eat inedible objects (small toys, rubber bands, sand, earth). Unlike kleptomania, where the object of the attack is a more or less valuable thing (depending on the person’s financial situation), the objects of erythrophagia can be elements that are essentially useless and have no material value for the victim and the people around him. In some cases, erythrophagy is called