The cases of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a less known eating disorder is surging in the UK.
As per Sky News, ARFID can seriously affect a person’s physical and mental health.
ARFID is an eating disorder where individuals have a strong dislike for certain foods because of their taste, texture, smell or appearance.
The individuals may develop a fear of eating due to a traumatic experience such as choking.
ARFID was officially recognized as an eating disorder only in 2013.
It can lead to serious issues such as malnutrition, social isolation and anxiety.
However, many local health services are not equipped to treat the disorder.
Recent data from the eating disorder charity Beat shows a major rise in ARFID-related concerns.
Currently, one in seven calls to their helpline is about ARFID, compared to one in 50 calls five years ago.
Additionally, 28% of calls about children 16 and younger are now related to ARFID.
As per the reports, Beat estimates that 80% of eating disorder services in England do not specify on their websites whether they provide treatment for ARFID.
Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at Beat, called for an immediate need for better awareness and more resources to address ARFID.
