Eating disorders and body image disorders are brutal diseases, so we’ve discussed them several times on our pages; we’re eager to help our clients beat these destructive patterns and enjoy healthier, happier lives. We are Saber Psychiatry, and we provide comprehensive care for the entire family. If you or a loved one needs compassionate psychiatric evaluations and treatment, call us at 615-678-7839.
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a new name (as of 2013) for what we used to call “Selective Eating Disorder.” Like anorexia, AFRID involves severe limitations on what a person eats, but unlike anorexia, AFRID does not include distress about one’s shape, size, or body type. It also does not involve purging, although sufferers may gag or vomit when required to eat foods that they want to avoid.
AFRID is more than simply being a picky eater or having medical/cultural or acquired dietary restrictions. A person who has AFRID does not eat enough to maintain basic bodily functions. Children who have AFRID stop growing.
AFRID is treatable. Saber Psychiatry uses cognitive behavioral approaches and teaches anxiety-reduction reduction techniques.
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See our website for detailed information.
We diagnose Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) when:
- A person shows a disturbed eating pattern (such as a lack of interest in food/eating, extreme avoidance based on a food’s appearance or texture) that is paired with a persistent failure to meet nutritional/energy needs.
AND
- The diet persistently fails to meet energy/nutritional needs despite the availability of culturally available food.
AND
- At least one of the following:
- Significant weight loss in adults, failure to gain height or weight in children
- Nutritional deficiencies not explained by other causes
- Dependence on nutritional supplements to meet nutritional needs (again, not explained by other causes)
- Interference with social functioning
AND
- Food is available (and it fits cultural requirements & values)
- The restrictions appear outside of bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa, and there is no evidence of a disturbed body image
- There are no medical conditions or other mental conditions that can explain the dietary restrictions.
These strict criteria mean that normal or age-related variations in eating preferences are not pathologies.
Again, AFRID is much more severe than fussy habits. A person can be a picky eater and still get all the nutrients he/she needs. Because we (humans) are resilient, laboratory tests can miss life-threatening electrolyte imbalances and other problems.
Health risks include:
Cardiovascular weakness (including cardiac arrest)
Gastrointestinal problems
Fluctuations in blood sugar
Susceptibility to infections
Pancreatitis
Severe dehydration (and the ensuing problems)
Seizures
Muscle cramps
Hypothermia
Kidney failure
Anemia
Call Saber Psychiatry at 615-678-7839.