Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a new eating disorder that was included in the DSM 5, which is a manual developed by the American Psychiatric Association for diagnosing mental disorders. It replaced the Feeding Disorder of Infancy or Early Childhood. Expanded the criteria to include adolescents and adults who have difficulties with eating. People with ARFID are often seen as eaters but their avoidance of certain foods can also be due to negative experiences like allergies or choking incidents. It’s important to note that unlike individuals with anorexia those with ARFID do not restrict their food intake because they are concerned about their body image or shape. Comparisons between youth with ARFID and those with anorexia or bulimia have shown that individuals with ARFID are more likely to be male, in age and have a longer history of disordered eating.
Carla Nasca, Ph.D., is a post-doctoral fellow of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in the laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at the Rockefeller University, New York. Dr. Nasca received her B.A. in Molecular Biology and her M.S. in Electrophysiology from the University of Palermo in Italy. She earned her Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Pharmacology from the University Sapienza in Rome, Italy, before moving to The Rockefeller University under the mentorship of Dr. Bruce McEwen.
