Nutrition support for ARFID and severe food restriction.
ARFID - Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder - is more than ordinary picky eating. Food restriction can be driven by sensory sensitivities, very low interest in eating, fear of choking or vomiting, pain or other aversive experiences. It can affect nutritional adequacy, growth, reliance on supplements and participation in everyday life.
A child does not have to be underweight for severe food restriction to matter. Weight is only one part of the nutrition picture.
My role
My role is to assess the nutrition picture: what your child is currently able to eat, whether nutritional needs are being met, where the biggest risks are and how we can support adequacy and gradual progress while respecting the child's feeding experience.
Support may include
- Diet and safe-food review
- Energy, protein and micronutrient adequacy
- Growth review
- Nutrition enrichment
- Supplement and laboratory review where appropriate
- Constipation/hydration support
- Practical parent strategies
- Coordination with the wider care team
Frequently asked questions
Is ARFID the same as picky eating?
No. Selective eating is common. ARFID involves clinically significant avoidance or restriction that affects nutrition, growth, dependence on supplements and/or everyday psychosocial functioning.
Does my child need to be underweight?
No. ARFID can occur across the weight spectrum. Growth, nutrient adequacy and daily functioning all matter.
Can you diagnose ARFID?
I can identify nutrition and feeding concerns that may warrant further assessment and I support families with the nutrition component of ARFID care. Formal diagnosis may require an appropriately qualified multidisciplinary clinician or team.