ARFID Support
EDUCATION, SUPPORT & RECOVERY OPTIONS
ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) is a recognized eating disorder that affects people all ages, body sizes, and backgrounds. Recovery from ARFID is possible, and you don’t have to do it alone.
What is ARFID?
ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) involves significant avoidance or restriction of food intake that can lead to significant nutritional, psychological, or social consequences. Someone with ARFID may:
Restrict the amount or variety of foods eaten
Avoid foods due to sensory sensitivities
Experience anxiety about eating
Have low appetite or little interest in eating
ARFID is not picky eating.
Unlike typical picky eating, ARFID does not tend to resolve on its own. The avoidance is persistent and continues to interfere with daily functioning or healthy development without appropriate support.
What drives ARFID is not simply preference, but deeper factors such as anxiety, sensory sensitivities to taste, texture, smell, or appearance, or fear related to eating experiences like choking, vomiting, or feeling unwell.
Signs of ARFID
If you notice these signs of ARFID in a loved one, it may be time to seek additional support.
Mealtime anxiety or distress
Extreme selectivity with food, e.g only eating certain colours of food
Avoiding new foods due to fear, discomfort, or sensory reactions
Feeling full quickly or lack of interest in eating
Failure to gain weight in children or unintentional weight loss
Difficulty eating with others or in social environments
Understanding the difference between picky eating and ARFID helps reduce stigma and supports early, effective intervention.
Recovery from ARFID looks different than recovery from other eating disorders, because food avoidance is often driven by anxiety, sensory sensitivities, or fear. Progress with ARFID recovery often happens when caregivers focus on reducing pressure and increasing emotional safety around food.
Supporting A Loved One
With ARFID
Compassionate Communication
Learn how to respond to your loved one with calm consistency rather than urgency during mealtimes.
Build Empathy & Understanding
Recognize that avoidance is not defiance, and understand how your child’s nervous system may perceive food as a real threat.
Manage your own wellbeing
When caregivers feel regulated, they are better able to provide steady, compassionate guidance through the ups and downs of recovery.
Discover helpful tools & techniques
Learn how to create predictable, supportive environments where eating is encouraged but not forced.
At Silver Linings Foundation, we provide free, expert-led programs to help caregives understand ARFID and learn how to support loved ones through an ARFID recovery journey.
Recovery from ARFID is not something families should have to navigate alone. Our programs provide a deeper understanding of what ARFID is—and what it is not—while learning about the four types of ARFID, the factors that maintain the disorder, and actionable steps toward recovery.