psychiatric disorders
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
Introduction
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is characterized by restriction of food intake; it does not include having a distorted body image or being preoccupied with body image (in contrast to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa). (See also Introduction to Eating Disorders .) Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder typically begins during childhood but may develop at any age. The exact cause of the disorder is unknown, but it may have genetic and psychosocial components, including Overview of Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders , Patients with avoidant/restrictive food intake may not eat because they lose interest in eating or because they fear that eating will lead to harmful consequences such as choking or vomiting. They may avoid certain foods because of their sensory characteristics (eg, color, consistency, odor). 