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What is Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder?
11 December 2025
It is a condition characterized by a lack of interest in eating, the restriction of certain foods due to their sensory characteristics, or fear of potential adverse consequences of eating. This can lead to chronic growth and development problems due to a lack of necessary nutrients in the body.
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is one of the so-called eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia nervosa. It can manifest at any age, with the childhood stage being the most commonly affected.
Symptoms: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake
- Adopting an excessively restrictive diet.
- Going to the bathroom during meals.
- Social isolation.
- Significant weight loss.
- Weakness.
- Severe nutritional deficiencies.
- Difficulty socializing with others.
- Abdominal pain.
- Lack of appetite.
- Fear of choking or vomiting.
- Need to consume oral supplements to try to complement nutrition.
- Obsession with following a healthy diet and eliminating certain types of food.
- Making excuses to avoid eating.
- Rejection of certain foods due to their color, shape, size, or texture.
- Skipping meals.
If not treated promptly, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder can cause severe health problems, such as:
- Food allergies.
- Effects on the digestive system and bones.
- Self-harm.
- Depression.
- Heart failure.
- Gastric conditions.
- Suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
- Problems with social bonding.
- Eating disorders.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Diagnosis and Treatment: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake
After the specialist doctor analyzes the symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination and a series of tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment is established individually, meaning according to the symptoms and health conditions of the child or adult, but it regularly includes psychotherapy, nutritional counseling, and the intake of some medications to treat the symptoms.
At the Neurological Center, a group of highly trained and certified doctors in various neurological specialties are prepared to treat you with the quality and warmth that characterizes us.
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Ricardo Ostos
Content CreatorLearn more about Ricardo on LinkedIn
The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.
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