Of list of eating disorders, ARFID may not be something you recognize – but it can be just as dangerous as the known conditions.
ARFID, or Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as a condition that restricts a person’s food intake. It is recognized in DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association).
The disorder is marked by severe Fear and anxiety About food and its specific characteristics – such as smell, taste and texture – or the consequences of eating, such as choking.
‘Fear of ketchup’ waitress shares viral video, reinforces phobia, says therapist
Restricting food intake to extreme levels can lead to malnutrition and malnutrition, as experienced by 9-year-old Hannah from Los Angeles.
Hannah and her mother, Michelle, (who chose to remain anonymous) sat down for an interview with Fox News Digital to discuss their journey with ARFID, including a prominent social media presence. is included.
Both of them have 1.5 million followers on Instagram. Her TikTok account (@myarfidlife), featuring videos of Hannah bravely trying new foods, has reached millions of views among nearly 460,000 followers.
Long before Hannah started sharing her journey on camera, Michelle struggled with what she thought was just a “picky eater.”
“I realized it was more than just eating dishes. It was obviously tormenting him.
Michelle explained that Hannah, the youngest of three, was a “fantastic eater” as a child – until she was introduced to solid foods.
“She’ll protest, and she’ll spit the food out, or she’ll grab it out of my hand, or she’ll turn her head the other way,” he said — all “very common” behavior among children.
A teenager’s sudden death from a peanut allergy leads to a dramatic family decision
But by the time Hannah turned 3, Michelle said, she had begun to reject him, too. Select foods He ate once.
“It was very frustrating for us because she was already limited in what she was willing to eat,” he said.
Michelle, pictured here with her husband and three children, noted that Hannah’s case looked “very different” from her oldest son, who is autistic and had difficulty eating as a newborn. is (@myarfidlife)
Because Hannah was still growing normally, her doctors “weren’t too concerned,” and assumed she would grow from the fast food.
After COVID-19 hitMichelle said Hannah’s eating took a turn for the worse, and she ended up eating more.
Air pollution may increase risk of autism, new study suggests
“It was a big struggle to get him to eat anything,” she said. “He had no interest in eating, and his growth started to slow down.”
Hannah’s doctors ran tests to see if there were any other health conditions, such as IBS or celiac disease. She was referred to other specialists, from endocrinologists to nutritionists.
Her mother noted that Hannah was also seeing a feeding therapist, which caused “a lot of stress and anxiety.”
Pictured alongside her mother Michelle, Hina shared that she loves drawing, reading and writing and playing with mud. (@myarfidlife)
Doctors instructed Michelle to continue feeding Hannah when she was hungry, but her daughter’s condition worsened.
“She couldn’t handle being around food,” she said. “She couldn’t handle sitting at the dinner table with us. She couldn’t handle the smell when I was cooking in the kitchen.”
As Hannah grew older, she did not grow out of this state, but was able to verbalize her inner struggles.
Taylor Swift has mostly positive influence on fans’ body image and diet culture, study finds
“We were in the drive-thru and I asked [Hannah]’What would you like me to order?’ And at that moment she broke down and asked me, ‘Why is it that every time you talk about food, it really upsets me?'” Michelle recalled.
“Hearing those words … I realized it wasn’t more than just eating dishes. It was obviously torturing him.”
Seeking support and ‘validation’
Michelle decided to seek help from one. Mental health care Find a professional and a therapist who specializes in ARFID. She said their first conversation was “very validating”.
“I remember being told, ‘He has very few foods that he’s ready to eat. And one of the foods is sour cream and onion Pringles, but they have to be in a special package.’ Pringles refuses to eat large containers that have to come in individual smaller containers.
“And hearing his words – ‘This is so classic ARFID’ – was so true.”
According to one eating disorder expert, ARFID’s “psychosocial interference” can be difficult in social settings, such as at school and parties. Hanna, pictured with her brothers, is living with the condition. (@myarfidlife)
The therapist recommended nutrition first. Protein shakesWhich was hard for Hannah to stomach.
But Hanna, who was dangerously underweight, told her mother, “I don’t want to live like this anymore.”
“That Michelle told Fox News Digital that she was at risk of needing a feeding tube. “She fell off the growth chart and wasn’t gaining weight. She wasn’t gaining height.”
“I don’t want to live like this anymore.”
“She wasn’t getting the nutrition she needed. She was very weak, lethargic and sleeping a lot.”
As eating disorders increase among college students, here’s how parents can help
Michelle tries fun ways to get Hannah to drink the shake, such as timing her and seeing if she can beat her previous record.
Afterwards, Michelle suggests taking a video of Hannah drinking a shake to send to her new therapist.
Hannah was immediately interested in how her therapist would respond.
Hina says her famous tagline “Here I go” before eating in her videos. (TikTok/@myarfidlife)
Michelle then decided to share the video online to let friends and family know what Hannah was going through, and to help explain why the food was there. Why was she not able to attend holidays or birthday celebrations?
‘Girl Dinner’ Social Media Trend Raises Concern Among Experts: ‘Unhealthy Obsession’
Since that first post, Hannah and Michelle’s social media following has skyrocketed, with thousands of strangers cheering and encouraging Hannah.
“Hina has grown up a lot. Physically and emotionally. His confidence has grown,” Michelle said. “He’s a completely different kid.”
“There’s curiosity and excitement and enthusiasm — there’s definitely still a lot of anxiety, but she’s working through it.”
Hannah and Michelle are pictured wearing “Here I Go” T-shirts, which are on sale to help promote ARFID awareness. (@myarfidlife)
Now 9, Hannah uses her platform to spread awareness about ARFID and share tips she’s learned in treatment.
“Since we started our page, many people have discovered that they’ve been dealing with this their entire lives,” Michelle said.
Ultra-processed foods make up 60 percent of the U.S. diet, which is most at risk
“It’s great to meet other people who can understand each other and share stories.”
Hannah added that the encouragement she gets online keeps her motivated. Try new foods.
“It makes me really happy because I know I’m helping other people,” she told Fox News Digital. “And I’m helping myself too.”
Hina shared that she is proud of her continued bravery.
“I feel good,” he said. “I’m really excited today.”
Tips for Overcoming ARFID
During her sessions, Hannah undergoes exposure therapy as well as talk therapy.
“We do breathing exercises and coping skills,” she said. “We also try different foods.”
For more health related articles visit www.foxnews.com/health
Taylor Rae Homsley, executive director of the Emily Program’s Atlanta-based eating disorder treatment center, works with ARFID patients.
He shared more details on the condition in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Although symptoms can vary, one standout symptom is limited food intake, based on texture or food group, one expert said. (iStock)
Because ARFID was coined as “a new term to describe something that’s been around for a long time,” Homesley said, it’s brought more awareness to the condition. and how best to treat it.
There are three types of ARFID symptoms. Parents should find out According to Homesley, among his children.
1. Fear of consequences
“I’m afraid I’m going to throw up, I’m afraid I’m going to have a stomach ache, I’m afraid I’m going to suffocate,” the expert said, for example.
2. Lack of interest in eating or eating
“It’s children and adults who are just not affected by food,” he said.
“They’re the ones who play outside for hours and hours and don’t think, ‘It’s time to eat.’
3. Avoidance of food based on sensory properties
“These are children and adults who are very limited in what they’re eating because of these sensory things,” Homesley said.
“They may have an aversion to the taste, texture, smell or temperature of the food.”
“[ARFID] One expert said it needs to be treated differently and recognized as a separate eating disorder. (iStock)
“Many of our patients with ARFID are what we consider super tasters,” the therapist added. “They taste bitter tastes more intensely than the rest of us.”
Click here to sign up for our health newsletter.
Treatments for ARFID are still being developed, but approaches such as Cognitive behavioral therapy According to Homsley, it has been helpful.
Michelle noted that ARFID needed “a lot of awareness” and community building, which led her to start the ARFID Awareness nonprofit.
Click here to get the Fox News app.
“Help is not readily available, and that’s very unfortunate because ARFID is lifelong, and it’s something that requires treatment,” he said.
“I feel like bringing the community together and using our voices. [is important] So that people see that there is a need.”