Affecting all ages and genders, ARFID is often associated with psychiatric co-morbidities including autism, ADHD, anxiety and OCD.  Often it limits the range of foods that can be eaten, thus causing major challenges at home, school, work and when with friends or in social situations.  In turn, this impacts on day to day functioning and fluctuations in mood would be very common.

Types of ARFID

• Avoidant – denoted by individuals simply avoiding certain types of food which may be linked to sensory or sensitivity issues or provoking a heightened reaction due to smells, textures, appearance and/or colour
• Aversive – arises out of a fear of choking, nausea, vomiting, pain and/or swallowing, forcing the person to avoid this food completely
• Restrictive – can be linked to persons with low or no appetite (can lead to forgetfulness around needing to eat or a distractedness at mealtimes)
• ARFID + – suffering with more than one type of ARFID. In these cases, features of anorexia may develop resulting in the individual becoming concerned and/or obsessed about size, weight, negative body image and calorie counting

Signs and Symptoms of ARFID

• Eating foods of similar characteristics, such as crunchy in texture or bland in colour
• Having a short list of acceptable foods
• Elimination of foods and refusal to reintroduce back into diet
• Poor weight gain and growth (this is not always an indicator)
• Nutritional deficiencies in vitamins and iron for example
• Refusal to eat certain food groups
• Avoidance of vegetables and protein sources and fruit
• Having a specific preference as to how particular foods are prepared
• Adverse emotional reactions around new or unfamiliar foods
• Difficultly attending social events where food is present

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