What Exactly is Avoidant / Restrictive Food Intake
Disorder (ARFID)
By Jestine Argueza, RDN, LDN
Maybe you’ve always known your child was a “picky eater”. But now the list of foods he will eat without a struggle will fit on a small post-it note. His “picky eating” is taking a toll and interfering with family meals, not to mention your concerns about his nutritional needs.
Turns out, it really is a thing and there’s a name for it. Avoidant / Restrictive Food Intake Disorder or ARFID, is an eating disorder diagnosis, newly and aptly named in 2013. However, it’s quite different from other forms of eating disorders.
So, what IS it?