Ashima Sharda Mahindra • 25 Dec 2024
Rare Condition ARFID Leaves Teen Terrified To Eat Christmas Dinner With Her Family
ARFID is a condition that causes you to limit the amount and type of food you eat
A young girl from Surrey is so scared of Christmas dinner that she will be spending the festive day without food. Nineteen-year-old Macy Williams suffers from a rare condition called ARFID, which makes her have a phobia of certain foods.
According to her family, until she was 17, Macy only ate cucumbers, blended porridge, and plant-based custard.
However, during the Christmas festivities, she would allow herself only a small portion of stuffing and gravy while her family tucked into a traditional dinner in another room. Since last summer, Macy has been fed purely by tube, and she spent last Christmas Day in the hospital.
"Nobody would choose to live like this, away from their family and away from normal life. At Christmas, my family will come to visit me, but there will be no chocolates, no prosecco, no Christmas fayre. When my family eats, I just go into a different room. I can’t bear it," Macy told The Mirror.
Macy was diagnosed with ARFID as a baby
According to her mother, Macy's problems began when she was just a baby.
"When she was weaned, she would vomit the baby food back. She only ate yogurt and puddings, but I thought it was a phase. Instead, it got worse. She would only eat certain foods, and she couldn’t have them all on the same plate. She only ate specific brands too; if I tried a cheaper brand, she would know immediately. Her food had to be prepared separately and stored in a different cupboard,” said Terri, a mother of five.
When she was ten years old, Macy collapsed due to malnutrition and was admitted to the hospital. According to her doctors, she has been in and out of the hospital ever since. She stopped going to school and gave up dancing because she became too weak. She was initially wrongly diagnosed with anorexia, and though she was malnourished, she was not dangerously underweight. However, her condition has only deteriorated.
"I can’t even bear the smell of food; it makes me panic. My mom and sister are supportive, but it is so lonely. I’ve been stuck in the hospital for months and really, the doctors don’t know what to do with me,” she added.
What is ARFID?
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder or ARFID, is a condition that causes you to limit the amount and type of food you eat. Experts say it is not the result of a distorted self-image or an attempt to lose body weight, which is common among other eating disorders.
Apart from affecting your nutrient intake, ARFID also causes you to:
- Lose interest in eating
- Feel anxious about the consequences of eating, like choking on food or vomiting.
- Avoid foods that have an unwanted color, taste, texture, or smell
Signs and symptoms of ARFID
A few noticeable signs and symptoms of ARFID include:
- Significant weight loss
- Constipation
- Stomach pain and severe cramps
- Lethargy and tiredness
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Fainting and dizziness
- Muscle weakness
- Feeling full before meals or having no appetite
- Limiting how much food you eat
- Only eating foods with certain textures
- Picky eating gets worse and limits the range of foods able to be eaten
What causes ARFID?
Doctors say even though the exact cause of ARFID is unknown, studies say it may be the result of recurrent:
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Genetic changes
- Social, cultural, and environmental influences
- Trauma
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