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Eating disorders

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

Restriction of food due to disinterest, aversion to textures or odors or fear of choking or vomiting, without concern for weight. It can cause weight loss or deficiencies.

Common signs

Eats very few foodsFear of choking or vomitingLow weight or growth problems

Tips

For you

  1. Medical and nutritional assessment
  2. Gradual exposure to new foods
  3. Meals without pressure or punishment

For family and friends

  1. Offer new foods without pressure, alongside familiar ones
  2. Avoid using food as punishment or reward

When to ask for help

  1. If there is weight loss or growth problems
  2. If eating is almost completely avoided

Are you having a really hard time? If you're thinking of harming yourself, call 024 (free, 24 hours) or 112.

Guidance test

Answer thinking about the last few weeks. There are 8 questions and you get your result straight away. Your answers are not saved or sent.

0 of 8
1. I eat very few kinds of food
2. I refuse foods because of their texture, smell or colour
3. I'm afraid of choking or vomiting
4. I have little interest in food
5. I have lost weight without meaning to
6. I find it hard to eat away from home
7. Meals make me anxious
8. I'm not worried about gaining weight: the problem is the food itself
Also take the full eating disorders test →

Free resources

Downloadable PDF sheetSigns, tips and resources to print or saveADANER: Spanish association for anorexia and bulimia careFree external resourceAll our free guidesFree resource from Clínica Vivaldi

Related disorders

PicaEating disordersRumination disorderEating disordersAnorexia nervosaEating disordersBulimia nervosaEating disorders

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Reviewed by María Teresa Fernández Vicente, health psychologist and neuropsychologist (registration no. CV17304), in November 2026. Educational information prepared by the Clínica Vivaldi team based on the DSM-5-TR classification. It does not replace a professional assessment and cannot be used to diagnose.