A New York law student with a cheese addiction is attending a rehab program costing $6,000 per week to conquer her unusual compulsion, the New York Post reported Saturday.
Adela Cojab, 27, shared her struggle with cheese addiction and her journey to recovery. Cojab’s cravings spiraled out of control during her junior year at New York University, leading her to consume large amounts of cheese, which she believed was an economic decision to cope with stress, according to the New York Post. Describing her ordeal, Cojab recounted how she would buy blocks of the cheapest white cheddar and Parmesan.
“I stopped by either Morton Williams or by Whole Foods and I would just buy cheese, and I would literally just eat a block of cheese with my hands,” Cojab said, the New York Post reported. “It was the only thing that would make me feel somewhat whole.”
The Gouda, bad and ugly: NYC law student addicted to cheese went to nearly $6K-per-week rehab https://t.co/2i8jTisUlW pic.twitter.com/qbvU3n3v9H
— New York Post (@nypost) May 18, 2024
The situation escalated to consuming about 5.5 blocks of cheese per week, along with Parmesan crisps, while her attempts at making a salad merely included lettuce as a side to her cheese, the outlet reported. Dr. Neal Barnard, author of “The Cheese Trap,” attributes cheese addictions to high concentrations of fat, salt, and casein. Casein acts like opiates on the brain, earning cheese the nickname ‘dairy crack.’
Cojab, president of NYU’s Zionist student group Realize Israel, faced increasing stress from campus politics and activism. The stress, combined with her unhealthy diet, caused significant health issues, including a weight gain to 172 pounds, cessation of her menstrual cycle, and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Man Arrested For Allegedly Assaulting Police With Cheese: REPORT)
Cecilia Estreich flips a round of cheese being pressed at Consider Bardwell Farm in West Pawlet, Vermont in this June 30, 2008 file photo. To match feature FARM-USA/CHEESE REUTERS/Brian Snyder
A family intervention led Cojab to seek help at Hilton Head Health in South Carolina, a wellness retreat costing at least $5,820 a week. After entering the rehab, she learned to manage her diet, count calories and choose healthier snacks, the outlet reported.
Despite her progress, Cojab admits to occasional relapses during stressful periods, such as recent anti-Israel protests at universities.
“I dabble, but not in the way that I used to before,” she said, according to the New York Post. “When I’m really stressed, I’ll have a block of cheese, but it doesn’t happen that often.”