Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder is more than just picky eating. Statistics show that this condition can have dramatic, negative impacts on health and wellness.
Everybody knows a picky eater. Kids are especially notorious for being very selective in the foods they will eat. However, picky eating to an extreme may become a mental health disorder that leads to both physical and psychological health problems.
While we all dislike certain foods because of their taste or texture, some people refuse to eat a large percentage of food types or even entire food groups. This phenomenon is a condition known asavoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Since it has only been officially recognized as its owneating disorderin the past decade, many people are unaware of this condition. Currently-knownfacts and statistics of ARFIDcan clear up some common misconceptions about the condition and reveal risk factors and treatment options.
Prevalence of ARFID
Since it is such a newly-recognized disorder, not much research has been done on ARFID. Because of this, theprevalence of ARFIDis hard to determine. While ARFID predominantly affects children, it can also occur in adults and teenagers.
A certain amount of food pickiness is expected inchildren, especiallytoddlers. Being selective in food preferences is considered a normal part of development. However, in cases of ARFID, this reluctance to eat a large number of food types can cause developmental problems. Children may feel intense anxiety about eating certain foods or have stunted growth because of nutritional deficiencies.
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One recent study from Switzerland estimated the prevalence of ARFID among children aged 8–13 at about3.2%. ARFID is one of the most common eating disorders treated in children. Between5–14%of children in inpatient programs and as many as22.5%of children in outpatient programs for eating disorders have now been diagnosed with ARFID.One studyshowed it affects boys more often than girls.
Very little is currently known about the rate of ARFID in adults in the general population. Recent research shows it affects about 9.2% of adult patients with eating disorders. Farmorewomenhave ARFID thanmen.
ARFID and Co-Occurring Disorders
Patients with ARFID frequently have other mental health disorders. Conditionscurrently known to co-occurwith ARFID include:
- Anxiety:People with ARFID sometimes feel anxious at the idea of eating certain types of food or about the possibility of going somewhere that they can’t find food that they like. As many as72%of patients with ARFID also have ananxiety disorder.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD):The extent that patients with ARFID obsess over their food being exactly a certain way sometimes crosses into anOCD diagnosis.
- Pseudodysphagia:Some people with ARFID also grapple with pseudodysphagia, or the fear of choking. These individuals may avoid certain foods because they are afraid it will make them choke.
- Autism spectrum disorder:People, especially children, withautismoften develop an aversion to certain smells, tastes or textures, which can lead them to avoid specific types of foods altogether.
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD):Stimulant medications forADHDcan cause reduced appetite andin some casescan cause symptoms of ARFID to worsen.
ARFID is adistinct conditionfromanorexianervosa. Patients withanorexialimit their food intake because they have a distorted body image or fear of gaining weight, whileindividuals with AFRIDrestrict their food intake because of food aversions.
Health Consequences of ARFID
ARFID can often lead to anutritiondeficit and relatedhealth risks, particularly in cases where a patient cuts entire food groups from their diet. Theconsequences of ARFIDcan be devastating in children if untreated, causing developmental problems such as stunted growth, malformed bones or delays in neurological development.
Statistics on ARFID Treatment
Because this is a newly recognized condition, there currently is not a standardtreatmentestablished for ARFID. In cases with severe malnutrition, the first line of therapy is to provide dietary supplements and restore physical health. In milder cases, talk therapy with a trained counselor is the usual treatment method. After receiving care, most patients recover well. Treatment is similar foradultsand children.
If you or someone you love is affected by ARFID and a substance use disorder, The Recovery Village can help.Contact us todayfor more information.
