An estimated 1-5% of the world’s population suffer from an eating disorder that few people are even aware exists. Known as avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, or Arfid for short, the condition is an extreme form of restrictive eating – which, if left unchecked, can have a severe impact on a person’s life and health.
Despite how serious Arfid is, we still know very little about what causes it – making it difficult to develop effective treatments. But in the first twin study ever conducted of Arfid, our team has now revealed that genetic factors play a major role in its development.
