What is Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder – ARFID? Before I try to answer that, I’m not a healthcare professional. The opinions in this post are my own and come from my own experiences. I’m in my forties and I’m thrilled to have finally found a name for my fussy, picky, weird, finicky eating – ARFID. Do I have an official diagnosis, no. Am I confident that my eating habits, especially as a child, fall under the new term, ARFID, yes.
Yes, fussy, picky, weird, finicky eater are all terms that others have used to describe my eating habits, especially when I was child. Luckily, I have always had a very supportive Mom. However, I had a lot of VERY unsupportive family members. Sadly, they didn’t realise the damage their words and actions caused. Now a Mom, I am passionate about improving the experience of children with ARFID/ suspected ARFID. I want to help you help them; whether you’re a family member, friend or professional.
I’m in the process of writing a short book about my experiences and thought I’d bring you along for the journey with me. I’ll be releasing a series of blog posts covering aspects of my experience of Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, what I’ve discovered about the condition through my research and strategies to help live with ARFID and support loved ones.
As I’ve already said, I am not a medical professional and my thoughts come from my own experiences and opinions. I hope that the book (when it’s finished) and the series of blog posts will shed light on this little known disorder and give hope to those affected (both individuals and their families).
ARFID Book Chapters
These are still subject to change, but I hope to cover each of these in my book about experience with ARFID. Which of these chapters are you most interested to read? Let me know in the comments or drop me an email at lisa@busybusylearning.com. Here’s my plan for chapters.
- ARFID: What is Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder?
- The Great Soup Incident
- Why Listen to Me?
- What ARFID isn’t
- Is ARFID Contagious?
- Say No to “Safe Foods”
- Sensory Connections
- ARFID, Autism and Other Conditions
- Just Eat!
- How Can You Help?
- ARFID and School
- Eating Out
- Educating the Professionals
- Be an Advocate
- Don’t Give Up Hope
If you’d like to sign up to my newsletter to find out when a new ARFID post releases and top tips I’ve found, you can do that below.
What is ARFID?
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder characterised by a persistent failure to meet appropriate nutritional and/or energy needs. Unlike other eating disorders, ARFID is not driven by concerns about body image or weight. Instead, it involves a range of food-related issues that lead to restrictive eating patterns.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) was added to the ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases), which was released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018. The ICD-11 officially came into effect on January 1, 2022.
ARFID was introduced to provide a more accurate classification for individuals with significant eating restrictions not associated with the body image concerns typically seen in disorders like anorexia nervosa and others.
This inclusion reflects a growing recognition of ARFID as a distinct eating disorder requiring specific diagnostic criteria and treatment approaches. However, access to diagnostic and treatment approaches is not yet available to all.
If you feel you have ARFID or suspect a family member to have ARFID it’s important that you speak to a health professional. However, as ARFID is a very new term I would advise going into any appointment as informed as you can be as you may well find yourself needing to educate the professional. This is a situation I have found myself in several times.
Key Features of ARFID:
- Significant Weight Loss or Failure to Thrive: Individuals may experience significant weight loss or, in children, a failure to gain weight or grow as expected.
- Nutritional Deficiency: The limited diet can lead to a lack of essential nutrients, causing deficiencies.
- Dependence on Supplements or Tube Feeding: Due to restricted eating, some individuals might rely on nutritional supplements or enteral feeding to meet their dietary needs.
- Psychosocial Impact: ARFID can significantly interfere with social functioning, such as avoiding meals with others or being unable to eat in public.
Depending upon the individual these key features can be minor to having significant impact on ones life. The quote below is one that very much stands out to me:
“The difference between a ‘picky eater’ and a child with ARFID, is that a picky eater won’t starve themselves to death. A child with ARFID will.”
— Dr. Gillian Harris, Clinical Psychologist. from ARFID Awareness UK website.
ARFID isn’t just about being a little particular and having preferences on food. It’s about a total inability to be able to eat and drink certain foods and beverages no matter what the consequences are.
Common Reasons for Food Avoidance
- Sensory Sensitivities: Aversion to certain textures, taste, colours, look, sounds, or smells.
- Fear of Negative Consequences: Such as fear of choking, vomiting, or allergic reactions.
- Lack of Interest in Eating: Limited appetite or disinterest in food.
Sometimes there can be more than one reason for an individual.
ARFID Diagnosis
ARFID is diagnosed based on key features and the exclusion of other eating disorders like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. It requires a comprehensive assessment by healthcare professionals. We’ll cover more on diagnosis in a later post.
Save the Date: Awareness Days
Awareness days are an ideal time to gain more information. I’ll add important dates below:
- Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2025 – Monday 24 February to Sunday 2 March 2025
- On the 5th July 2024 we saw the first ever ARFID Awareness Day, a day I very much hope will be repeated annually.
Do drop a comment if you know of others to make people aware of.
ARFID Support
- ARFID Awareness UK
- Authentically Emily Blog Post: ARFID Awareness Day
- BEAT Eating Disorders
- National Eating Disorders Website
- SHOUT for mental health support 24/7 in the UK text SHOUT to 85258
- Sign up to my ARFID newsletter below:
If you have any concerns around your eating habits, or of someone close to you, do seek professional medical advice.
Further Reading
- You might like to check out this blog post on sensory processing and sensory diets
- Reading recommendations for ARFID here
References
- ARFID Awareness UK. (n.d.). What is ARFID?. [online] Available at: https://www.arfidawarenessuk.org/copy-of-what-is-arfid-1 [Accessed 17 Jan. 2025].
- Beat Eating Disorders. (n.d.). ARFID – Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. [online] Available at: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/types/arfid/ [Accessed 17 Jan. 2025].
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. (2024). Support for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). [online] Available at: https://www.cntw.nhs.uk/resource-library/support-for-avoidant-restrictive-food-intake-disorder-arfid/ [Accessed 17 Jan. 2025].
- UK Addiction Treatment Centres. (n.d.). ARFID signs, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. [online] Available at: https://www.ukat.co.uk/eating-disorders/arfid/ [Accessed 17 Jan. 2025].