She says she wishes she had more confidence to try new things; something echoed by most selective eaters I spoke to. Eating out at restaurants and trying the latest food trends are such huge parts of our culture – particularly for young people in cities like London – that as a selective eater it’s easy to stop trying new things altogether, including looking for love.

“Some people just avoid dating because they’re too embarrassed to say they only eat chips,” says Economakis. “One 24-year-old women told me she’s never had a boyfriend because she’s afraid to go out and eat with a man, in case he tries to get her to try new things.”

Even when sufferers do become romantically involved, over time their limited diet can really put their relationship to the test. Foodie Brenda Wong, 23, says her ex-boyfriend’s aversion to anything other than plain chicken and chips was a factor in their break-up.

Wong recalls calling the restaurant where she was throwing her birthday dinner to check there was something plain enough on the menu for him to order. However, when they got there, she says: “He couldn't eat it because there was coleslaw in the burger and refused to eat anything else.” Ultimately this proved too much for her to deal with.

Lyons says her eating has had a momentous impact on her life and while she’s sought professional help, unfortunately it hasn’t worked. “I’m not happy about how I eat and wish I could eat a far wider variety of food – especially now I have my own family,” says Lyons. “I’d hate for my daughter to pick up on any of my habits.”

Hopefully as society continues to take mental health issues more seriously, awareness of selective eating disorders and their potential triggers will increase, limiting the risk of them being passed on to future generations.

*Names have been changed