Xenophagia is an eating disorder in which children consume non-nutritive, non-edible substances such as dirt, paint, hair, soap, leaves, etc., on a persistent basis (over a period of more than 1 month). These xenophagic behaviors are inappropriate to the developmental level of the child and to the cultural context in which he or she lives. They usually resolve spontaneously with age and occasionally persist into adolescence and even adulthood. Although there are some theories to explain the onset of xenophagia, the exact etiology and pathogenesis are not yet clear. Available research suggests that nutritional deficiencies, iron, zinc, and calcium deficiencies, poverty, chaotic home environments, lack of effective parental supervision, neglect and abuse, emotional deprivation, psychological cravings for non-nutritive substances, and faulty family functioning are associated with the development of xenophagia.