ARFID Services
SUPPORT AND DIAGNOSIS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WITH ARFID OR COMPLEX FEEDING DIFFICULTIES
A service for children and families with restricted feeding and eating or ARFID.
What is ARFID
Avoidant and Restricted Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a relatively new eating disorder and was previously known by other names including ‘selective eating’. It is classified as an eating or feeding disturbance that leads to a persistent failure to meet appropriate nutritional and/or energy needs and is to be associated with one (or more) of four criteria including significant weight loss (or failure to achieve expected weight gain or faltering growth in children), significant nutritional deficiency, dependence on enteral feeding or oral nutritional supplements, or marked interference with psychosocial functioning.
Unlike other eating disorder diagnoses (such as anorexia or bulimia) people with ARFID do not typically worry as much (if at all) about how much they weigh or how they look.
Common Symptoms of ARFID
Avoiding particular types of food such as foods of a certain texture, smell, colour or shape.
Only eating certain brands of food.
Anxiety or disgust at new foods, including a gagging response.
Being unwilling or frightened to try new foods and 'safe' foods becoming rejected over time.
Fear of choking or vomiting.
Taking a long time over mealtimes.
Avoiding eating in social situations or with the family.
Displaying a lack of interest in food and not being aware when you are hungry.
Nutritional deficiencies or difficulties maintaining a healthy weight or poor growth.
What We Offer
We are one of the UKs specialists in ARFID diagnosis and support, offering access to multi-disciplinary team including Clinical Psychologists, Dietitians and Speech and Language Therapists that have significant training and experience working privately and in the NHS developing services for children with complex feeding difficulties and ARFID.