Psychology Facts

▲ ARFID ▲

》 Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder similar to anorexia. However, people with ARFID aren't worried about their body image, shape, or size.

》 Types of ARFID:

Lack of interest: people with this type of ARFID have a genuine lack of interest in eating and food. They also get full quickly.

Sensory Avoidance: clients with sensory avoidance have issues with food tastes, textures, temperature and smells.

Fear of Aversive Consequences; fear of illness, choking, nausea and allergies

》 Symptoms & Warning Signs:

A short list of acceptable foods

Eating foods of similar characteristics, such as crunchy in texture, or colorless

Preferences for particular food preparation methods

Avoidance of vegetables, protein sources (meat, beans, etc), fruit

Eliminates foods and never gains them back into the diet

Poor weight gain and growth (child may also be of normal weight and growth)

Nutrient deficiencies (iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C most common)

Skips one or more entire food groups

Becomes emotional or demonstrates stress around unfamiliar foods

Food limitations negatively impact normal social behaviors

》 Risks & Complications:

Malnutrition

Weight Loss

Developmental delays

Co-occurring anxiety disorders

Failure to gain weight (children)

Gastrointestinal complications

》 Behavioral and psychological symptoms / risks:

Dramatic weight loss

Dresses in layers to hide weight loss or stay warm

Reports constipation, abdominal pain, cold intolerance, lethargy, and/or excess energy

Reports consistent, vague gastrointestinal issues ("upset stomach", feels full, etc.) around mealtimes that have no known cause

Dramatic restriction in types or amount of food eaten

Will only eat certain textures of food

Fears of choking or vomiting

Lack of appetite or interest in food

Limited range of preferred foods that becomes narrower over time (i.e., picky eating that progressively worsens).

No body image disturbance or fear of weight gain

》 Physical symptoms:

Stomach cramps, other non-specific gastrointestinal complaints (constipation, acid reflux, etc.)

Menstrual irregularities—missing periods or only having a period while on hormonal
contraceptives (this is not considered a "true" period)

Difficulties concentrating

Abnormal laboratory findings (anemia, low thyroid and hormone levels, low potassium, low blood cell counts, slow heart rate)

Postpuberty female loses menstrual period

Dizziness

Fainting/syncope

Feeling cold all the time

Sleep problems

Dry skin

Dry and brittle nails

Fine hair on body (lanugo)

Thinning of hair on head, dry and brittle hair
Muscle weakness

Cold, mottled hands and feet or swelling of feet

Poor wound healing

Impaired immune functioning

》 Diagnostic criteria for ARFID, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), include:

The individual demonstrates a disturbed eating experience that is associated with one or more of the following:

Nutritional deficiency as a result of inadequate intake of food

Weight loss (adults) or failure to gain weight (children)

Decline in psychosocial function

Dependence on supplements to maintain nutritional health

The disturbed eating is not due to an explainable external factor, such as food being unavailable or in short supply.

The person does not have a distorted body image.

The feeding disturbance or food restriction is not a result of some other physical or mental illness.

For example, a person who loses weight because of the flu or food poisoning does not have an eating disorder, so a diagnosis of ARFID would not be relevant.

》 Cognitive-behavioral therapy is commonly used to help patients normalize their eating. It can also help them feel less anxious about what they eat.