Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, (ARFID), is a condition characterised by the person avoiding certain foods or types of food, having restricted intake in terms of overall amount eaten, or both.
Anyone of any age can have ARFID. It occurs in children, teenagers and adults. Although people with ARFID may lose weight or have low weight, this is not a criteria for ARFID. It can occur at any weight and varies in different people.
ARFID can cause people to avoid or restrict food for different reasons. The three main subtypes are:
- Sensory-based avoidance: Sensitivity to the taste, texture, smell, appearance, or temperature of food.
- Fear of consequences: Avoiding food because of worries about choking, vomiting, pain, or other negative experiences.
- Low interest in eating: Having little appetite, not recognising hunger, or seeing eating as a chore.
A person can experience one or more of these at the same time, and sometimes there is no clear cause. ARFID is therefore considered an “umbrella” term covering different eating difficulties, all involving restricted food intake or a limited range of foods.
ARFID can occur on its own or alongside conditions such as anxiety, autism, ADHD, and some medical conditions. It may develop early in life or begin more recently.
