What is ARFID?
Here is the definition of ARFID from the American Psychiatric Association DSM 5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.1
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder replaces and extends the DSM-IV diagnosis of feeding disorder of infancy or early childhood. ARFID is an eating or feeding disturbance (e.g., apparent lack of interest in eating or food; avoidance based on the sensory characteristics of food; concern about aversive consequences of eating) as manifested by persistent failure to meet appropriate nutritional and/or energy needs associated with one (or more) of the following:
1. Significant weight loss (or failure to achieve expected weight gain or faltering growth in children).
2. Significant nutritional deficiency.
3. Dependence on enteral feeding or oral nutritional supplements.
4. Marked interference with psychosocial functioning.
In some individuals, food avoidance or restriction may be based on the sensory characteristics or qualities of food, such as extreme sensitivity to appearance, color, smell, texture, temperature, or taste. Such behavior has been described as ‘restrictive eating,’ ‘selective eating,’ ‘choosy eating,’ ‘perseverant eating,’ ‘chronic food refusal,’ and ‘food neophobia’ and may manifest as refusal to eat particular brands of foods or to tolerate the smell of food being eaten by others.
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Who Are We?
McKaelen Elliot has had ARFID her whole life, and has recovered! It was determined that her trauma began in utero during Stephanie's pregnancy when she thought she was going through a miscarriage, but it could have also been due to an accident she had at the age of two that sent her to the ER. McKaelen is a talented artist, a lover of children, and so much wiser than her 17 years. Before therapy, she couldn't face trying new foods; now she excitedly anticpates trying new things and is surprised by how great new foods can taste. She doesn't necessarily love everything, but she openly and joyously tries food, which is more than half the battle!
Stephanie Elliot is Mom to McKaelen and her two brothers, Luke and AJ. She is married to Scott. She is an editor, writer and advocate of ARFID. Her young adult novel, Sad Perfect, which is loosely based on McKaelen's experience with ARFID, was published by FSG/Macmillan in 2017. Find out more at stephanieelliot.com.