Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder in which someone consistently avoids or limits foods. Unlike other eating disorders, ARFID isn’t driven by body image concerns. Instead, it’s often shaped by factors such as sensory sensitivities, low interest in food, or fear of aversive experiences like choking or vomiting.

Clinicians typically describe three main subtypes of ARFID:

• Avoidant (sensory-based) → food avoidance linked to texture, taste, smell, or appearance, which is especially common among Autistic people and often misdiagnosed.
• Restrictive (low-interest) → limited intake related to low appetite or little interest in eating.
• Aversive (fear-based) → avoidance driven by fear of choking, vomiting, or becoming ill.

For many neurodivergent people, especially Autistic people, recognizing ARFID changes how long-standing food struggles are understood. It’s sometimes mistaken for anorexia, and when that happens, people may receive treatments that are misaligned and can cause harm.