A Guide to Eating Disorders

ARFID

ARFID (Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)

ARFID is a unique form of an eating disorder where an individual is unable to eat certain chemicals, substances or even entire food groups due to a multitude of factors. These factors include an individual's sensitivities to foods (presented in intense physical pain, headaches or stomachaches) or psychological barriers. It is believed to exist due to an incapability towards certain textures, compounds or sometimes even food colours. ARFID was previously known as SED, or Selective Eating Disorder. From the description, one may assume that this disorder revolves around picky eating; however, this is not accurate.

Most likely, those afflicted with ARFID will have severely low nutrients due to the foods they will not eat. This ED can also develop from a fear or phobia (like emetophobia—a fear of vomit) if vomiting or other fears were experienced after consuming a certain food. It’s basically a type of eating disorder where the consumption of certain foods is limited based on the food's appearance, smell, taste, texture, or a past negative experience with the food.

There are many types of eating problems that might warrant an ARFID diagnosis—difficulty digesting certain foods, avoiding certain colors or textures of food, eating only very small portions, having no appetite, or being afraid to eat after a frightening episode of choking or vomiting.

While this may or may not be completely accurate, it’s thought of as “Anorexia Nervosa without the same psychological factors,” in the medical world. What these people mean with that is that the behaviours are about the same as someone with Anorexia Nervosa, without being influenced by BDD and wanting to be skinnier. ARFID is believed to exist due to some individual's sensitivities towards certain spices, chemicals, textures, tastes, etc., which again, is different than Anorexia Nervosa. A diagnosis of Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder describes individuals whose symptoms do not match the criteria for traditional eating disorder diagnoses (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and BED), but who; nonetheless, experience clinically significant struggles with eating and food.

Symptoms of ARFID typically show up in infancy or childhood, but they may also present or persist into adulthood.

Individuals who meet the criteria for ARFID have developed some type of problem with eating (or for very young children, a problem with feeding). As a result of the problem, the person isn't able to take in adequate calories or nutrition through their diet. Because the person with ARFID isn't able to get enough nutrition through their diet, they may end up losing weight—although that often isn't the cause of the ED. Or, younger kids with ARFID might not lose weight, but rather may not gain weight or grow as expected. Other people might need supplements to get adequate nutrition and calories.

Most of all, individuals with ARFID may have problems at school or work because of their eating problems —such as avoiding work lunches, not getting schoolwork done because of the time it takes to eat, or even avoiding seeing friends or family at social events where food is present. Because of the difficulties that often surface in one's social life, someone with ARFID will often also be diagnosed with some form of mood disorder—commonly depression.

Another medical comparison for it is misophonia, which is an anxiety-related mental disorder where certain noises trigger the individual to react adversely. Some describe it as that their brains are literally, physically hurting from these noises, which may or may not be intrusive. ARFID is similar in the fact that while it isn’t logical, and there’s not a particularly tangible reason for it, they just can’t consume certain substances, foods, food groups, etc.

It is speculated, according to two unrelated clinical studies (that I could find), that up to 30% of individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder show symptoms of ARFID or have the full-blown eating disorder. The first study was done on people of all genders, ages 7-31. The second was on 3000 people that had been discharged from mental hospitals up to five years before the study, ages 7-76.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS;

—-panic attacks or other expressions of anxiety when around "unsafe" foods

—-weight-loss not relating to changes in exercise or other factors (sleep, puberty, illness etc.)

—-mineral or chemical deficiencies that are found in uneaten foods

—-electrolyte imbalances

—-malnourishment

—-dehydration

—-brittle teeth

—-anemia

—-sallow skin

—-low energy levels

—-etc.