The number of people in Britain with a previously little-known eating disorder, in which those affected avoid a lot of food, has increased sevenfold in five years, figures show.
Eating disorder charity Beat received 295 calls avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (Arfid) in 2018 – accounting for 2% of the 20,535 investigations that year. However, last year the country received 2,054 calls, accounting for one in ten of the 20,535 requests for help. Many came from children and young people or their parents.
Andrew Radford, CEO of Beat, said: “It is extremely worrying that there has been such a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking support for Arfid, especially as specialist care is not always readily available.”
The patchy delivery of NHS help meant many people experienced long delays before accessing support, he added.
Eight in ten service providers in the field of eating disorders have not stated on their website whether or not they offer Arfid care, according to research by Beat.
“All too often we hear from people who were unable to get treatment close to home or who had to wait months or even years for the help they needed,” Radford said.
Arfid is much less known than anorexia or bulimia. It is “an eating disorder that rarely gets the attention it deserves.” The surge in cases should prompt NHS chiefs to end the postcode lottery in Arfid care and ensure every region of England has a team of staff fully trained to deal with the problem, they added he added.
“Unlike others eating disorders Like anorexia or bulimia, Arfid is not driven by feelings around (one’s) weight or shape,” Radford said. “Instead, it may be due to sensory issues surrounding the texture or taste of certain foods, fear of eating due to distressing experiences with food, for example choking, or a lack of interest in eating.”
It can be particularly tricky to diagnose the condition because it has such a wide range of symptoms, including:
Radford said: “As with any eating disorder there is a risk of physical complications such as malnutrition, but due to the lack of awareness surrounding (Arfid) the risks are not always recognized and medical emergencies can be downplayed.”
It is unknown how many people in Britain have Arfid. But given that research has shown that between 1% and 18% of people with an eating disorder have it, and that 1.25 million Britons have an eating disorder, Beat says the number of people with Arfid could range from 12,500 to 225,000 patients.
A NHS Digital Survey The mental health survey of children and young people in England aged 8 to 25 in November found that one in eight (12.5%) of those aged 17 to 19 had an eating disorder last year. The figures were four times higher in young women than in young men.
Dr. Amy Wicksteed, chair of the British Psychological Society’s eating disorders faculty, said the increase in calls to Beat about Arfid was “worrying and in line with similar trends reported in the US regarding calls to health insurance claim lines . Unlike some other eating disorders, it is not caused by negative body image or the desire to lose weight.”
She said the three main characteristics of Arfid were:
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Avoidance of sensory aspects, such as certain tastes, smells, textures and appearance of food.
NHS eating disorder services are struggling to cope with a post-Covid spike in the number of people seeking help. Referrals during the pandemic have increased by 50%, according to NHS England.
A spokesperson said: “The NHS is clear that improving care for people with eating disorders is vital, with investment, targeted support and training helping to develop community eating disorder teams in all parts of England.”