A THURROCK schoolboy's 'Spud-u-Like' eating habit has been turned around by hypnosis.

Fussy-eater Lennie Sartin, aged eight, who had been hooked on jacket potatoes for most of his life, has been cured of his tater obsession

Lennie would insist on a baked spud with beans and cheese almost every dinner, getting though around 2,500 in his lifetime.

Parents Kayleigh and Lewis from Stanford-le-Hope, were left stumped when Lennie stopped trying new foods at 18 months.

The mere thought of eating any fruit or veg would make him sick or feel nauseous.

In desperation, Kayleigh turned to cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist David Kilmurry.

After undergoing a two-hour hypnotherapy session, the youngster has enjoyed his first summer fruits alongside other foods.

Kayleigh says he's also shot up in height and his energy levels have rocketed.

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Kayleigh, 34, said: "Lennie was always so fussy about what he ate.

"Nine out of ten times when I asked him what he wanted for dinner, he'd say 'jacket potato'.

"He'd only ever have them with beans and cheese, never anything else.

"We weren't too worried because we thought potatoes are quite healthy and he did loads of sport and was fit but he had low energy.

"He'd often go to bed at 7pm and he had a fidgety leg."

Kayleigh, who also has another son Brodie, six, worried that Lennie may have inherited a family trait from her brother, Connor.

She added: "My brother Connor used to only eat KFC and a doughnut every single day so I thought maybe Lennie was just a fussy eater.

"I did take him to a paediatrician who said it was his diet but whenever I tried him on different foods he would gag.

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"He would eat beige foods for lunch and sometimes potato waffles but his main dinner would almost always be a baked potato.

"I read about another boy David had helped with his food obsession and made an appointment to see him.

"David told me Lennie had a phobia of food. It totally made sense as he's spent practically all of his life eating potatoes.

"He also said his fidgety leg was his body's natural reaction to craving nutrients.

"It was amazing because after just one hypnotherapy session, Lennie was able to try more foods like strawberries and bananas.

"It was like his fear of other foods had gone.

"My dad who only sees him every few weeks even said that he'd grown and the other week Lennie completed a 5k park run.

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"He even managed to shave two minutes off his best time."

Lennie is now able to try 24 different foods, including vegetables and fruit, and now only has jacket potatoes a couple of times a week.

Mr Kilmurry, who specialises in treating people with (ARFID) Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, said: "It was a true honour to meet and work with Lennie, to watch him eat all these wonderful new foods is inspirational.

"I'm so pleased for him and his family."