ARFID: When Eating Isn’t Simple

Food is deeply personal. It’s cultural, emotional, sensory - and, for some, utterly overwhelming.

ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) sits in that complex intersection where biology, psychology, and sensory experience collide.

Unlike other eating disorders, ARFID isn’t about body image. Instead, it’s often linked to interoception (how we sense internal bodily states) and sensory processing. A person might struggle with the texture of a banana, the smell of cooked vegetables, or the unpredictability of eating something new. For neurodivergent individuals, these experiences can be amplified - the nervous system might read a new texture as danger, not dinner.

From a therapeutic perspective, ARFID invites us to shift from “Why won’t they eat?” to “What does their body need to feel safe enough to eat?” It’s a gentle reframing that honours both the biology and psychology of eating.

Approaches that blend body-mind psychotherapy, mindfulness, and nutritional education can help rebuild trust in food - one sensory step at a time. And yes, that might mean celebrating a single new flavour or texture as a triumph.

Food, after all, is not just fuel - it’s relationship, safety, and sensory exploration rolled into one.