Background

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a relatively new eating disorder diagnosis, and there is need to better understand this disorder's presentation. Diagnostic criteria for ARFID require that there are no body image distortions. People with ARFID symptoms may have body image concerns that require careful consideration and more information about the interplay of these is needed to help clinicians appropriately diagnose and manage ARFID.

Case presentation

This clinical observation reports a case of ARFID in a nine-year-old with severe malnutrition who positively views her small size and values thinness. The patient reported that her own desire for thinness was influenced by social media beauty ideals and praise of thinness witnessed in social situations. Despite this, the motivation for avoidant and restrictive eating behaviors was low appetitive drive, fear of trying new foods, and fear of adverse consequences from eating.

Conclusions

Although concerning, the patient's body image was not of clinical significance as a motivating factor for the disordered eating behaviors. Body image dissatisfaction is common. The requirement to exclude body image distortions in the diagnostic criteria for ARFID may require consideration of the pervasiveness of societal body ideals to which young people are exposed.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of eating disorders have increased, further straining systems of care that were already overburdened. The current paper describes novel interventions, largely informed by Family-Based Treatment (FBT), that were implemented by a tertiary specialist adolescent eating disorders service. In response to the pandemic, programming was designed to bridge access to care while waiting for availability of evidence-based therapy. The Brief Psychology Consultation Clinic provides several sessions to patients and families, focused on psychoeducation and problem-solving informed by FBT and other evidence-based therapies. Two groups, the FBT Caregiver Workshop Series and FBT Caregiver Support Group, provide psychoeducation and support for caregivers of youth with eating disorders. Perceived strengths and benefits of these services, as well as barriers to implementation and future research directions are discussed.

Patients with atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN) or anorexia nervosa (AN) with premorbid history of higher weight (PHW; median BMI ≥ 85th %ile) may report greater eating disorder (ED) pathology, anxiety, and depression, than patients with premorbid history of lower weight (PLW; mBMI <85th %ile). Less is known about caregiver attitudes or treatment outcome related to premorbid weight history. The current study examined associations between premorbid weight history and patient/caregiver factors at presentation, during treatment, and end of treatment among adolescents (N = 138) diagnosed with AN/AAN and their caregivers who received interdisciplinary ED treatment. The sample comprised adolescents with PHW (n = 58, 40.6 %) or PLW (n = 82, 59.4 %). Adolescents with PHW did not differ with regard to patient- or caregiver-reported ED symptoms, comorbid psychopathology, rates of treatment completion, and attainment of estimated body weight compared to PLW (ps > .05). Adolescents with PHW (vs. PLW) were more likely to be diagnosed with AAN (67.9 %, p < .001), identify as cisgender male (p < .001) and to have lost more weight prior to presentation (p < .001). Perceived caregiver burden was lower among adolescents with PHW vs. PLW (p < .001). Further research should expand on this preliminary study exploring associations between premorbid weight history on patient and caregiver factors at treatment presentation and conclusion to enhance the efficacy of evidence-based treatment across the weight-spectrum.

Weight-centric health practices are based on the principle that excess weight predicts chronic disease, informing a growing sociopolitical movement to address an "obesity epidemic." This hyper-focus on preventing obesity may contribute to weight stigma (i.e., the devaluation and discrimination of individuals based on body size) and other iatrogenic outcomes for youth, including the development and maintenance of eating disorders (EDs). Current evidence-based treatments for EDs include language and practices that may reinforce fears of fatness, body shame, and unhealthy dietary restriction without guidance on addressing weight stigma. Here, we present case examples from three adolescent patients across ED presentations and body sizes to (1) elucidate the role of weight stigma in ED development, (2) highlight the ubiquity and harms of weight stigma within ED treatments, and (3) outline thoughtful protocol adaptations to avoid further harm and facilitate recovery. We conclude with a call for immediate action to advance research characterizing the harms of weight-centric approaches in existing ED interventions to reduce the risk of iatrogenic effects on youth with EDs and advance weight-inclusive approaches to ED treatment.