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Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
DSM-5 eating disorder characterized by avoidance or restriction of food based on sensory characteristics, fear of aversive consequences (e.g., choking), or lack of interest in eating, leading to nutritional and/or psychosocial impairment without body image disturbance.
Also: ARFID
ARFID is distinct from anorexia nervosa (which requires drive for thinness or body-image disturbance). It is more common in children, autistic individuals, and those with prior choking/vomiting trauma. Management is multidisciplinary (RDN, mental health, occupational/feeding therapy). Cases requiring tube feeding may need careful planning to avoid further oral aversion. MNHD Ch 95 covers ARFID alongside anorexia, bulimia, BED, and night eating syndrome.
How each textbook covers it
Krause and Mahan's Food and the Nutrition Care Process, 16th ed. — Chapter 22
Introduced in DSM-5. Drivers include sensory sensitivity, fear of aversive consequences (e.g., choking, vomiting), and lack of interest in eating. Common in pediatric and autism spectrum populations. Treatment combines structured feeding therapy, exposure-based CBT, and nutrition rehabilitation; tube feeding may be required for severe weight loss or growth failure.
Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 12th ed. — Ch 95: Eating Disorders
ARFID is distinct from anorexia nervosa (which requires drive for thinness or body-image disturbance). It is more common in children, autistic individuals, and those with prior choking/vomiting trauma. Management is multidisciplinary (RDN, mental health, occupational/feeding therapy). Cases requiring tube feeding may need careful planning to avoid further oral aversion. MNHD Ch 95 covers ARFID alongside anorexia, bulimia, BED, and night eating syndrome.
Related terms
Anorexia Nervosa, Anorexia nervosa, Autism, Eating disorders, Failure to Thrive, Sensory Sensitivity