Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Do you ever wonder if you or your child’s eating goes beyond just picky eating? Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), or extreme picky eating, is an eating disorder characterized by highly selective eating habits. An individual struggling with ARFID is impacted mentally, emotionally, and physically due to food avoidance. The symptoms of ARFID may include:

—Avoidance of specific foods based on texture, smell, or taste
—Fear of chocking or gagging on certain foods
—Social avoidance (due to not wanting others to notice picky eating)
—Dramatic weight loss
—Gastrointestinal disturbances such as constipation or abdominal pain
—Lack of appetite
—Abnormal laboratory findings
—Impaired immune functioning
—Anxiety or depression

With so many adverse outcomes of this disorder many wonder why they were not aware that this diagnosis exists. ARFID is a relatively new diagnosis and can be confused with Anorexia Nervosa. Many of the warning signs of Anorexia, like cold intolerance, food refusal, fear of food, and a dramatic reaction towards specific foods, are also seen in ARFID. However, a big difference between ARFID and Anorexia, is that someone struggling with AFRID does not have disturbances in the way they view their body. This confusion can lead to misdiagnosis and subsequently ineffective treatment.

At Lotus Therapy Group, we understand that no one eating disorder is the same and that is because no one individual is the same. In treating ARFID we not only address the adverse physical outcomes of this disorder, but we also address the psychological struggles of the disorder as well. Exposure Therapy is often used in the treatment of ARFID. This type of therapy allows an individual to be exposed to new foods and also to engage in normal food experiences, such as grocery shopping, cooking, and social eating. This can allow someone to start to regain what ARFID took from them and move out of the stigma of “picky eater” and into a place of overall self-acceptance.

Want to learn more? Watch (and earn CEUs!) Lisa Carroll, MS, RD, LDN and Emily Presbrey, MS, RD, LDN talk more about ARFID on a recorded webinar. Click here to watch!