WHAT IS ARFID?

The term Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) was introduced in 2013.

It is more than just picky eating:

• ARFID is characterised by a pattern of eating that avoids certain foods or food groups entirely and/or is restricted in quantity (eating small amounts). 

• Avoidant and restrictive eating cannot be due to lack of available food, or cultural norms (e.g. someone who is fasting or chooses not to eat certain foods for religious or cultural reasons alone).

• ARFID can and does impact all age groups and can manifest at different stages of life.

ARFID is different to other eating disorders in that:

• ARFID isn't affected by a person’s beliefs about the size and shape of their body.

• Someone with ARFID doesn't restrict their food intake for the specific purpose of losing weight.

Whilst the exact causes of ARFID are unknown, it is thought that people who develop ARFID do so because of sensory sensitivity, fear of negative consequences, or a lack of interest in eating, or they have a strong need for sameness and dislike for uncertainty.

Researchers are still defining what puts someone at risk of developing ARFID, but here’s
what they do know:

• Is commonly associated with autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities.

• Those with ARFID may have a co-occurring anxiety, and they are also at risk for other psychiatric disorders.