ARFID describes people whose symptoms do not match the criteria for traditional eating disorder diagnoses, but who experience clinically significant struggles with eating and food. Individuals who meet the criteria have developed some type of problem with eating. As a result the person does not eat proper calories or nutrition through their diet.

 

People with this tend to have a 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. People with ARFID may develop another eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia.

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Sufferers of ARFID have an inability to eat certain foods. "Safe" foods may be limited to certain food types and even specific brands. In some cases, afflicted individuals will exclude whole food groups, such as fruits or vegetables. Sometimes excluded foods can be refused based on color. Some may only like very hot or very cold foods, very crunchy or hard-to-chew foods, or very soft foods, or avoid sauces.

 

 

Most sufferers of ARFID will still maintain a healthy or normal body weight. There are no specific outward appearances associated with ARFID. Sufferers can experience physical gastrointestinal reactions to adverse foods such as retching, vomiting or gagging. Some studies have identified symptoms of social avoidance due to their eating habits. Most, however, would change their eating habits if they could.

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There are different kinds of sub-categories for ARFID:

• Sensory-based avoidance, where the individual refuses food intake based on smell, texture, color, brand, presentation

• A lack of interest in consuming the food, or tolerating it nearby

• Food being associated with fear-evoking stimuli that have developed through a learned history