ARFID vs eating disorder
- ARFID — sensory/fear/low-interest, not about body image
- Anorexia/bulimia/BED — driven by body image, weight, control
Both serious. Both need help. Treatment is different.
Red flags
- Skipping meals, hiding food, eating alone
- Excessive exercise / hidden purging
- Rapid weight change
- Obsessive calorie counting, body checking
- Wearing baggy clothes, cold all the time
- Loss of periods
- Withdrawal, low mood
Act fast
Early treatment hugely improves outcomes.
- today — ask for BMI/heart-rate check and urgent CEDS referral (Community Eating Disorder Service for under-18s — target is 1 week urgent / 4 weeks routine)
- FBT (Family-Based Treatment / Maudsley Approach) is gold-standard for adolescents
- Tell school — ask for medical IHP (see Medical Needs)
What helps at home
- All food becomes "medicine" — parents in charge of meals during refeeding
- Don''t debate calories or body image
- Eat together, no phones at the table
- External support is essential — don''t do this alone
Helplines
- Beat 0808 801 0677 (youthline 0808 801 0711) · email/web chat 365 days
- crisis via 111 option 2
- 999 if collapsed, fitting, chest pain, suicidal