What is ARFID? An eating disorder that left a 9-year-old child nearly starved

Among the list of eating disorders, ARFID is probably not something you recognize. But it can be just as dangerous. with well known symptoms

ARFID or Restrictive Dietary Ingestion Disorder It is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as a condition that limits a person’s food intake. Recognized in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illness by the American Psychiatric Association).

The disorder is characterized by intense fear and anxiety about food and its specific properties, such as aroma, taste, and texture. or the consequences of eating, such as choking.

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Severe levels of dietary restriction can lead to malnutrition and malnutrition. That’s what 9-year-old Hannah from Los Angeles experienced.

Hannah and her mother Michelle (who chose not to reveal their last name) sat down for an interview with Fox News Digital to discuss their journey with ARFID, which included a notable social media presence.

On Instagram, the pair have 1.5 million followers. Their TikTok account (@myarfidlife) features videos of Hannah bravely trying new foods, which have been viewed millions of times by nearly 460,000 followers.

This was long before Hannah started sharing her journey on camera. Michelle struggles with what she considers to be just “Picky eater”

“I know this is more than just picky eating. It was clearly torturing her.”

Michelle explains that Hannah, the youngest of three children, was a “good eater” from infancy. Until she was introduced to solid food.

“She will protest. And she will spit out food. Or you’ll slap it out of my hand Or she would turn her head in another direction,” she said. “Quite common” among children

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But when Hannah was 3 years old, Michelle said she began rejecting even the foods she used to eat.

“It was very frustrating for us. Because you are already limited in what you want to eat,” she said.

Michelle is pictured here with her husband and three children. Notice how Hannah’s case looks. He is “very different” from her eldest son. who is autistic and has had problems eating since birth (@myarfidlife)

Because Hannah is still growing normally. So her doctor She is “not too concerned” and thinks she will grow out of being a picky eater.

After the outbreak of COVID-19 Michelle said Hannah’s diet had deteriorated. And she stopped eating even more.

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“It was a big struggle to get her to eat anything,” she said. “She had no interest in food at all. And her growth began to slow.”

Hannah’s doctor ran tests to see if she had other health conditions, like IBS or celiac disease. She was referred to other specialists. From endocrinologists to nutritionists

Hannah also saw a feeding therapist. which causes “A lot of stress and anxiety,” her mother noted.

Hannah, who was photographed with her mother Michelle Said she likes to draw, read, write, and play with slime. (@myarfidlife)

Doctors ordered Michelle to continue feeding Hannah when she was hungry. But her daughter’s condition only worsened.

“She couldn’t stand food,” she said. “She couldn’t stand sitting at the dinner table with us. She can’t stand the smell when I’m cooking something in the kitchen.”

When Hannah grew up She is not free from this condition. But it can speak to her inner struggle.

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“We were driving by and I asked (Hannah), ‘What do you want me to order?’ She broke down and asked me, ‘What do you want me to order?’ ‘Why is it that every time you talk about food? It really made me nervous,’” Michelle recalls.

“Hearing those words… I found out that this was more than just picky eating. It was clearly torturing her.”

Ask for help and ‘validation’

Michelle decided to seek help from a mental health professional. and found a therapist who specialized in ARFID. She said their first conversation was “really accurate.”

“I remember saying to her, ‘She has very little food that she is willing to eat. And one of the foods is sour cream and onion Pringles. But it must be in special packaging. She refused to eat the Pringles that came in. Large containers must come in individual small containers.'”

“And hearing her words – ‘This is classic ARFID’ – made a lot of sense.”

Eating disorder experts say ARFID’s “psycho-social intervention” can be difficult in social environments, such as at school and parties. Hannah, pictured with her brother are living with such symptoms (@myarfidlife)

The therapist first recommended protein shakes. Which was hard for Hannah to stomach.

But Hannah, who was dangerously underweight, told her mother: “I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

“you She was at risk of needing a feeding tube,” Michelle told Fox News Digital. “She was off the growth chart and wasn’t gaining weight. She wasn’t growing any taller.”

“I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

“She just wasn’t getting the nutrition she needed. She was very weak, lethargic and sleeping a lot.”

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Michelle tries a fun way For Hannah to drink the shake, for example, time her and see if she can beat the previous record.

Next, Michelle suggests taking a video of Hannah drinking the shake to send to her new therapist.

Hannah was immediately interested in how her therapist would respond.

Hannah says her famous slogan “Go for it” before eating the food in her video. (TikTok/@myarfidlife)

Michelle then decided to share the video online to help tell friends and family about what Hannah was going through. And to help explain why she couldn’t attend a holiday or birthday party because there was food in it.

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Since that first post Hannah and Michelle’s social media followers skyrocketed. Thousands of strangers have supported and inspired Hannah.

–Hannah has grown so much, both physically and emotionally. Her confidence has skyrocketed,” Michelle said. “She is a completely different child.”

“There is curiosity, motivation and excitement. There is still a lot of anxiety. But she tried to get through it.”

Hannah and Michelle wore “Here I Go” T-shirts which were on sale to help promote ARFID awareness. (@myarfidlife)

Now 9 years old, Hannah uses her platform to spread awareness about ARFID and share tips she’s learned in therapy.

“Many people since we started our page have discovered that this is something they have had to deal with their entire lives,” Michelle said.

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“It’s really good. To meet people who can understand each other and share stories.”

Hannah added that the encouragement she received online helped motivate her to try new foods.

“It makes me very happy. Because I know I’m helping others,” she told Fox News Digital. “And I’m helping myself, too.”

Hannah says she is proud of her continued bravery.

“I’m feeling good,” she said. “I’m really energized today.”

Tips for defeating ARFID

During her session Hannah received exposure therapy and talk therapy.

“We do breathing exercises and coping skills,” she said. “We also try different foods.”

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Taylor Rae Homesley, executive director of The Emily Program’s Atlanta eating disorder treatment center, works with ARFID patients.

She shared more details about the condition in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Although symptoms may vary But restricting your diet based on texture or food group is a prominent sign. said one expert. (Istock)

Because ARFID has been coined to be “A new term to describe something that has been around for a long time,” Homesley said ARFID has helped bring more awareness to the condition and how best to treat it.

There are three types of ARFID symptoms that parents should look for in their children, according to Homesley.

1. Fear of consequences

“I’m afraid I’ll throw up. I’m afraid I’ll have a stomach ache, I’m afraid I’ll choke,” experts give examples.

2. Lack of interest in eating or food

“These are children and adults who are not inspired by food,” she said.

“They are people who might play outside for hours and not think. ‘It’s time to eat.’”

3. Avoiding food based on sensory characteristics

“These are children and adults who have very limited dietary restrictions because of these exposures,” Homesley said.

“They may not like the taste, texture, smell or temperature of the food.”

“(ARFID) needs to be treated differently and recognized as a different eating disorder,” one expert said. (Istock)

“Many of our ARFID patients are what we consider to be extreme foodies,” the therapist adds. “They taste a higher concentration of bitter than the rest of us.”

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Treatments are still being developed for ARFID, but methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy have proven beneficial, according to Homesley.

Michel noted that ARFID needs “greater awareness” and community building. This led her to found the non-profit organization ARFID Awareness.

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“Help is not available. And it’s a shame because ARFID can last a lifetime. And it is something that needs to be treated,” she said.

“I felt like bringing the community together and using our voices. (It is important) for people to see that there is a need.”