It’s been just over a decade since AFRID or Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder was officially identified as an eating disorder.

ARFID is not about dieting or body image or weight loss, but the symptoms and signs of ARFID can often be mistaken for anorexia or bulimia

It is more than being a fussy eater or a picky eater. There can be a fear of food, anxiety around swallowing or chewing or eating in public, or an extreme sensitivity to taste, texture or smell. Sometimes it might be related to a trauma, such as a hospital stay or emotional event around food or to neurodivergence. Another sign of ARFID might be the reduction in the variety of foods someone might eat.

Shannon’s 5 year old son Jasper was diagnosed with ARFID after a series of unrelated events – a choking incident, a vomiting bug, tonsilitis, then the death of a loved one. It was a slow progressive issue with food and then he didn’t eat for weeks.

A reminder that this podcast is about one family’s experience with ARFID - it’s important you also seek your own professional help for your loved one as every individual case is different.

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