Anyone with extreme picky eating, food aversion, disinterest in food, and/or avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is invited to take our survey.
Help us understand more about how genes and environment influence ARFID.
What is ARFID?
Sometimes it is called extreme picky eating, sometimes selective eating, but officially, it is now referred to as avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder or ARFID. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are conducting a nationwide study to understand both the genetic and environmental causes of ARFID.
Here are some facts:
- ARFID can affect people of all ages
- ARFID affects people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds
- You can't tell by looking at someone if they have ARFID
HERE
- ARFID affects people of all body shapes and sizes
- ARFID is not a phase that a child will grow out of
Signs and Symptoms of ARFID
Behavioral Signs
- Extreme picky eating
- Fears of choking or vomiting
- Lack of interest in food or low appetite
- Limiting food intake to foods with particular textures, colors, or from specific brands
- Complaints of belly pain, nausea, or feeling full around mealtimes
- Avoidance of social situations with food
Physical Signs
- Stomach cramps and other gastrointestinal complaints
- Lack of appetite
- Weight loss
- Overweight
- Nutritional deficiencies (malnutrition)
- Low iron, low thyroid levels
- Dizziness or fainting
The ARFID-GEN study may be a good fit for you if:
• You are a parent of a child between the ages of 7 and 17 who might have ARFID
• You are age 18 or older and might have ARFID yourself
A diagnosis from a doctor/provider is NOT necessary to participate in this study