What are the facts about ARFID?
In addition to understanding the symptoms, causes, health risks and treatment options for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), it’s also important to understand the facts and statistics:
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ARFID is more common in children and young adolescents and less common in late adolescence and adulthood.1
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ARFID is often associated with psychiatric co-morbidity, especially with anxious and obsessive compulsive features.1
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ARFID is more than just “picky eating;” children do not grow out of it and often become malnourished because of the limited variety of foods they will eat.2
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The true prevalence of ARFID is still being studied, but preliminary estimates suggest it may affect as many as 5 percent of children.2
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Boys may have a higher risk for ARFID than girls.2
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63 percent of pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists were unfamiliar with the diagnosis of ARFID.3
Call to schedule a free consultation
At Eating Recovery Center, our Master’s-level clinicians are specially-trained and can speak with you about your concerns. Please call us at 877-825-8584 to schedule a free consultation.
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ARFID: Some new twists and some old themes. Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, F.iaedp, CEDS. (2016)
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Norris, M. L., Spettigue, W., & Katzman, D. K. (2016). Update on eating disorders: current perspectives on avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder in children and youth. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 12, 213-218.
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Canadian Pediatric Surveillance Program