What is true: ARFID is driven mainly by…?
From the book – Chapter 26: Eating Disorders
The right answer
Lack of interest, sensory issues, or fear of consequences — not body image
ARFID and OSFED
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): a person eats very little because they have no interest in food, cannot bear certain textures or smells, or fear what might happen, such as choking. It is not about body image. It can lead to poor nutrition and weight loss. It is common in children and in autistic people. Treatment includes nutrition support, gradual exposure to new foods and family involvement.
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED): symptoms cause significant distress but do not meet full criteria for the types above. Still serious. Still requires treatment. A missing label is not a mild illness.
Read the full chapter – Chapter 26: Eating Disorders
Stories from real life
- The Quiet Plate – Diya, sixteen, from Kolkata, was a top student and a state-level swimmer. After a cousin joked about her "round cheeks" she began cutting out foods, first…
- The Hidden Cycle – Sofia, twenty-two, lived in a shared flat in Manchester and worked in a bank. Everyone thought she was the one who had it together. She was…
- The Man at the Fridge Door – Ahmed, thirty-eight, an accountant in Dubai, ate quickly and alone, often standing at the fridge late at night. He would eat far past comfortable fullness, even…
- Eight Foods and a Packed Lunch – Little Arjun, seven, from Chennai, ate only a few foods: plain rice, one brand of biscuit and dry toast. New smells made him gag. At school…
More on this topic: Sleep problems, food and daily routine for a healthy mind
More questions
- What is true: OSFED…?
- The Quiet Plate – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- The Hidden Cycle – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- The Man at the Fridge Door – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- Eight Foods and a Packed Lunch – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- Not Quite Anything – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- What can we learn from the story “Meera’S Plate”?
- What they are?
- Understanding anorexia nervosa – eating disorders
- Understanding bulimia nervosa – eating disorders
- How to sleep better – habits that help
- Food, mood and emotional eating