Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) affects how people experience food, often limiting them to a small selection of “safe” foods that feel manageable to eat. If you or someone you care about is navigating ARFID, you already know that expanding food variety isn’t as simple as “just try new things.” The sensory sensitivities, fear of […]

If you or someone you love struggles with an extremely limited diet, you have probably wondered whether it is picky eating or something more serious. Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, or ARFID, affects children, adolescents, and adults, and it is far more complex than simply being a “picky eater.” Without proper treatment, ARFID can lead to […]

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, commonly known as ARFID, is a serious eating condition that goes far beyond picky eating. Unlike other eating disorders, ARFID is not driven by body image concerns or a desire to lose weight. Instead, it involves avoidance or restriction of food intake due to sensory sensitivities, fear of negative consequences, […]

Many kids tend to be fussy or picky eaters and avoid certain foods because of taste or texture preference. As parents and clinicians, it can be hard to distinguish between picky eating and an eating disorder that requires treatment such as Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder or ARFID. Knowing how to distinguish picky eating from something […]

If your child consistently refuses meals, gags at the sight of certain foods, or seems anxious at the dinner table, you might have chalked it up to picky eating. But for some children, these behaviors go far deeper, and they have a name: ARFID, or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. ARFID is a recognized eating disorder […]