ARFID

American  

[ahr-fid] / ˈɑr fɪd /

abbreviation

1. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, a disorder involving the avoidance of certain foods, a generally restricted or limited diet, or both, resulting in clinically significant nutritional, medical, or psychosocial impairment.

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Example Sentences

For individuals with ARFID, certain foods don’t just look unappetizing—they can feel like an actual threat.

From Slate • Jan. 4, 2025

For those with ARFID, exposure to fear foods without proper preparation and support can heighten anxiety and reinforce avoidance behaviors.

From Slate • Jan. 4, 2025

Nine-year-old Otto from Hitchin, in Hertfordshire, has the condition ARFID, which stands for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, meaning he avoids many different foods.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2021

Liz, from Dorset, has not had a formal diagnosis but she says she and her doctor believe she has ARFID.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2021

I learned about this disorder from Virginia Sole-Smith’s great book The Eating Instinct, by the way, which has a whole chapter of interviews with people who have ARFID, many of whom have kids.

From Slate • May 10, 2021