Feeding Disorders: Lifespan Perspectives

Historically, feeding problems were diagnosed and studied only in young children. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), included feeding disorder (FD) of infancy or early childhood, a diagnosis for children under the age of 6 years who failed to eat enough food to gain weight or grow normally for more than 1 month. The next edition of the DSM, the DSM-5, replaced the FD diagnosis with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, which can be diagnosed at any age when the feeding disturbance leads not just to weight loss or growth failure but to nutritional deficiency, dependence on nutritional supplementation, or significant psychosocial impairment. Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder encompasses individuals of all ages who present with lack of appetite or limited interest ...