Feeding And Eating Disorders: A Case Study

Feeding and eating disorders are two of the five sections under the specific behavioral disruptions chapter in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Although both classifications emphasize on either abnormal food consumption or avoidance, feeding disorders are often developed during childhood. Feeding disorders include pica, rumination disorder and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) while eating disorders consists of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Micali, Smionoff, Stahl, & Treasure (2011) proposes that the core source in feeding difficulties may be rooted in the relationship of the child and his/her caregiver (as cited in Dailey et al., 2014). Eating disorders are more likely to manifest in adolescence rather than during childhood, unlike feeding disorders. Since both feeding and eating disorders focus on an individual's maladaptive diet, it can significantly impact one's physical health as well as interpersonal relationships. Assessing the perception of one's weight and any compensatory behavior as a result of his/her body image is highly considered when determining a diagnosis for an eating disorder (Dailey et al., 2014). Due to the severity of these disruptive eating behaviors, the following sections will include critical …show more content…
ARFID is also a feeding condition where an individual avoids eating or has little interest in food intake. Besides completely refusing to eat, this illness may also be characterized as avoiding particular meals or rejecting new foods. An underlining feature of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder is when one fails to satisfy the nutritional amount required for healthy functioning (Dailey et al., 2014). The failure to meet dietary needs due to ARFID can be measured by weight loss, nutritional deficiency, psychosocial impediment, and the necessity for enteral feeding and oral supplements (Pennell,