Can ARFID Be Cured

Keynote

This guide addresses the question most parents ask after a diagnosis: is ARFID a permanent condition? It explores the reality of a "cure," the likelihood of a child outgrowing these challenges, and what progress looks like in the long term.

Dated: 6 February 2026

When your child is diagnosed with ARFID, the first thing you want to know is if it will ever go away. You are likely exhausted by the constant worry over nutrition, the social isolation of restricted eating, and the stress of every mealtime. You need to know if there is a point where the struggle ends and if your child can truly move past this. This guide looks at the facts about curing ARFID and what that journey actually looks like for a family in the UK.

Can ARFID actually go away?

When we talk about a "cure," most parents want to know if their child will one day wake up and eat without a second thought. For many children, the answer is yes, they can reach a point where ARFID is no longer part of their lives. Clinically, this is called being "sub-threshold," which is just a professional way of saying they no longer have enough symptoms to be diagnosed with the disorder.

Getting to that point involves tackling the three main reasons ARFID exists. Depending on which one your child struggles with, the path to it "going away" looks different:

Fear of consequences: If your child stopped eating because of a bad experience like choking or a stomach bug, this is often the most "curable" form. Once the brain learns that swallowing is safe, the ARFID can resolve completely.
Sensory sensitivity: For children who find the smell, texture, or look of food overwhelming, "curing" it is about building tolerance. They might never love mushy textures, but they can get to a place where those textures don't cause a physical meltdown.
Lack of interest: Some children simply don't feel hunger in the same way. A cure here involves setting up routines that become so natural the child eats enough to grow and thrive without it being a constant battle.

Signs that the condition is moving toward a cure

It is helpful to look for specific markers that show the ARFID is losing its grip. It isn't just about the number of foods they eat, but how they feel about the food that is in front of them. You are looking for:

A drop in anxiety: The physical shaking or crying at the dinner table stops.
Social freedom: Your child can go to a birthday party or a friend's house without you needing to pack a "safe" meal.
Weight stability: They are getting what they need from their diet to grow properly without needing high-calorie shakes or supplements.
Curiosity: They might not eat the new food yet, but they can sit near it or touch it without a fight-or-flight response.

The reality of the timeline

In the UK, the NHS and private specialists generally see recovery as a gradual process rather than a sudden shift. For some, it takes months; for others, it takes years. It is rarely a straight line. You will have weeks where it feels like the ARFID has gone, followed by a stressful period where your child retreats back to their safest foods. This doesn't mean a cure is impossible; it just means the brain needs more time to settle into its new habits.

The most important thing to understand is that ARFID is a set of behaviours and fears, not a permanent part of your child’s DNA. Because these behaviours were learned—even if they were learned as a survival mechanism—they can be unlearned.

Will my child ever eat like everyone else?

This is perhaps the biggest worry for parents. You see other children at parties or in school canteens eating a bit of everything, and it feels a world away from your own dinner table. You want to know if "cured" means your child will eventually have a "normal" diet, or if they will always be known as the person who only eats five things.

The reality is that "eating like everyone else" can mean two different things. It can mean eating the same amount of food as their peers, or it can mean eating the same variety.

The shift from "safe" to "social" eating

For a child with ARFID, the goal isn't necessarily to turn them into a food critic who loves everything. It’s about getting them to a place where their diet doesn't limit their life. Most children who move past ARFID do expand their diet, but they might always have preferences. The difference is that their preferences no longer cause a crisis.

When a child is doing well, you will notice these changes:

Eating what is available: They can find something to eat at a restaurant or a relative's house, even if it isn't their absolute favourite brand or shape.
The "One-Plate" rule: You no longer have to cook a separate meal for them every single night. They might still leave the broccoli, but they can eat the pasta and the chicken that the rest of the family is having.
Reduced brand loyalty: A hallmark of ARFID is needing a specific brand of nuggets or crisps. Progress looks like being able to eat the supermarket's own version if the usual one is out of stock.

Will they ever be "adventurous" eaters?

It is important to remember that plenty of people without ARFID are still picky eaters. Some adults just don't like mushrooms or olives, and that’s fine. Your child might never be the person who tries the most exotic thing on the menu, but that doesn't mean they haven't moved past their disorder.

If your child reaches a point where they have 20 or 30 reliable foods across different food groups, they are essentially eating "normally." They are getting the vitamins, minerals, and calories they need. At this stage, they are no longer restricted by a disorder; they are simply a person with specific tastes.

What sets the limit on variety?

How far a child’s diet expands often depends on their sensory baseline. If your child has a very sensitive sense of smell or taste, they might always prefer blander, crunchier, or more predictable foods. This isn't a failure of treatment or a lack of a "cure." It’s just how they are wired. The success is that they can now look at a new food without their body going into a state of panic.

In short, your child might not become a "foodie," but they can absolutely get to a point where their diet is broad enough that no one else would ever guess they once had an eating disorder.

The difference between a cure and managing the symptoms

When parents ask about a cure, they are usually looking for a finish line—a day when ARFID is gone and never comes back. In the medical world, however, there is a subtle but important distinction between "curing" the condition and "managing" the symptoms. Understanding this difference helps you set goals that actually lead to progress rather than frustration.

A cure implies that the underlying cause of the problem has been removed. For a child with ARFID, this might look like:

The fear of choking has completely vanished after therapy.
The sensory "volume" of certain textures has been turned down so they no longer cause a physical reaction.
The child has developed a natural hunger cue that they follow without being reminded.

Management, on the other hand, is about the tools and routines you put in place to make sure the ARFID doesn't stop your child from being healthy. Management isn't a "second-best" option; for many families, it is the bridge that eventually leads to a cure.

What management looks like in practice

Management is about taking the "panic" out of the situation. It involves practical strategies such as:

Safe Food Rotation: Ensuring your child doesn’t "burn out" on their safe foods by varying how they are presented.
Environmental Tweaks: Realising that your child eats better when the TV is on to distract them from sensory overwhelm, or when they eat in a quiet room away from the smells of the family kitchen.
Supplements: Using high-calorie shakes or vitamins to take the pressure off the actual meal. If you know they are getting their nutrients from a drink, you can be much calmer when they refuse to eat their dinner.

The crossover point

The line between managing ARFID and curing it is often blurred. If you manage the symptoms well enough for long enough, the child’s brain begins to relax. When the brain isn't in a constant state of "food is a threat," it becomes much easier for them to try new things.

In many cases, the "management" phase is simply the training ground. You are managing the daily stress so that the child has the mental energy to work toward a permanent change. For example, if a child uses a specific routine to stay calm at the table (management), they are more likely to eventually try a new fruit (moving toward a cure).

In the UK, many specialists focus on "functional recovery." This means that even if a child still has some ARFID-like thoughts or sensory preferences, they are "cured" in a functional sense: they are growing well, eating with others, and no longer feel like a prisoner to their safe foods.

Is it possible to just outgrow it?

This is a question that many parents ask, especially when they are being told by well-meaning friends or relatives that their child is "just a picky eater" and will "eat when they are hungry." With ARFID, the idea of simply outgrowing it is a bit more complicated than it is with typical toddler fussiness.

The difference between a phase and ARFID

Typical picky eating usually peaks around age three and then gradually improves as a child’s social world expands. ARFID is different because it is rooted in a genuine biological or psychological barrier. Because of this, "waiting it out" rarely works on its own. If a child has a genuine sensory phobia or a lack of hunger cues, those things don't usually vanish just because the child gets older.

However, there is a grain of truth in the idea of outgrowing it, provided the right conditions are met:

Developmental shifts: As children enter their teenage years, their social drivers become much stronger. The desire to go to a pizza place with friends or stay overnight at a football camp can provide the internal "push" they need to face their food fears.
Cognitive maturity: Older children can eventually understand why their brain is telling them a food is dangerous, even when it isn't. They can use logic to override their gag reflex in a way a five-year-old simply cannot.
Hormonal changes: Sometimes, the physical changes of puberty can alter a child’s appetite and taste buds, occasionally making them more open to higher-calorie or more intense flavours.

The risk of "waiting and seeing"

The danger in hoping a child will just outgrow ARFID is that, without help, the habits can become more deeply "wired" into the brain. If a child spends ten years avoiding certain textures, those neural pathways become very strong.

In the UK, the advice from specialists is usually that while some children do see improvements as they age, they don't necessarily "outgrow" the underlying anxiety without some form of intervention. It’s better to think of age as an aid to recovery rather than the cure itself. Growing older gives your child more "tools" to deal with the problem, but the problem itself often needs to be addressed directly.

What happens if it isn't addressed?

If we just leave it and hope for the best, there is a risk that the child reaches adulthood with a very narrow range of safe foods. While an adult can survive on a limited diet, it makes life much harder—affecting everything from work lunches to romantic relationships.

The goal is to use the child's natural growth and development as a springboard. You aren't just waiting for them to get older; you are helping them build the skills they need so that by the time they are adults, they have moved past the diagnosis.

How much can treatment really change things?

When it comes to ARFID, treatment isn't a "magic wand" that results in a child eating everything overnight. However, it is the most reliable way to turn a "stuck" situation into one where progress is possible. In the UK, the focus of treatment has shifted in recent years toward very practical, evidence-based methods that aim for long-term change rather than just short-term weight gain.

The most common treatment pathways

Most specialist clinics, whether through the NHS or private care, use a few specific approaches that have been shown to work:

CBT-AR (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for ARFID): This is a version of "talk therapy" specifically for this disorder. It helps older children and teens understand the fears or sensory "blocks" that stop them from eating. It breaks down the process of trying new things into tiny, manageable steps so the brain doesn't go into a state of panic.
Family-Based Treatment (FBT): This approach recognises that parents are the real experts on their children. Instead of a therapist doing all the work, they coach you on how to support your child at mealtimes, how to reduce anxiety in the house, and how to gently expand what the child is willing to eat.
Exposure Therapy: This is the "doing" part of treatment. It’s about slowly getting a child used to the sight, smell, and feel of food before they are ever asked to taste it. For a child with sensory issues, just sitting next to a new food without feeling sick is a massive win.

What changes can you actually expect?

Treatment is successful when it moves a child from a state of "crisis" to a state of "functioning." You should expect to see:

Better physical health: One of the first goals is often making sure the child isn't deficient in vitamins or losing weight. Once the body is properly nourished, the brain actually functions better, making the psychological work much easier.
Lower mealtime stress: Success isn't just about what they eat, but the atmosphere at the table. Treatment helps remove the "battle" from mealtimes, meaning you can sit down as a family again without everyone being on edge.
Increased "Safe Food" lists: While they might not start eating salads, treatment usually helps a child expand their list of safe foods from five or six to fifteen or twenty. This small increase is often enough to make school lunches and social events manageable.

Does treatment guarantee a cure?

It’s important to be honest: treatment doesn't "fix" every child 100%. Some children will always be more sensitive to food than others. However, what treatment does do is provide your child with a toolkit. Even if they still have ARFID tendencies, they learn how to manage them so the disorder doesn't control their life.

In the UK, the data shows that the earlier a child gets this support, the more likely they are to reach a full recovery. It stops the avoidant behaviours from becoming a permanent way of life and gives them the best possible chance of eating a broad, healthy diet as they grow up.

What the future looks like for a child with ARFID

For many parents, the biggest fear is that their child will still be struggling with the same five safe foods when they are thirty. While it is true that some people carry ARFID traits into adulthood, the "future" for a child with ARFID today is much brighter than it was even ten years ago. Because we understand the condition better, the long-term outlook is generally very positive.

The shift from childhood to adulthood

As children grow into adults, the way ARFID affects them changes. Often, the "cure" comes in the form of adult independence. When an adult has control over their own kitchen, their own shopping, and their own schedule, the panic surrounding food often drops.

In the UK, follow-up studies on young people with ARFID show that:

The majority reach a healthy weight: Even if their diet remains somewhat narrow, most adults who had childhood ARFID learn how to maintain a stable, healthy weight.
Social anxiety decreases: Adults often find "workarounds" that children haven't mastered yet—like checking menus in advance or suggesting specific places to eat—which removes the social isolation.
Diagnosis "drop-off": Many people who met the full criteria for ARFID as children no longer do so as adults because they have expanded their diet just enough to meet their nutritional needs.

Will it ever come back?

It is helpful to view ARFID as a sensitivity that can flare up during times of high stress. Just as someone prone to anxiety might feel it more during a house move or a job change, a person with a history of ARFID might find their diet "shrinking" slightly when life gets difficult. The difference is that, once they have been through treatment, they know exactly what is happening and how to fix it before it becomes a crisis again.

Success is a broader life

Ultimately, the future for a child with ARFID is about freedom. A successful outcome means your child can go to university, hold down a job, travel, and have relationships without food being the thing that stops them. They might always be a "plain eater" or someone who avoids spicy food, but they are no longer a person whose life is dictated by an eating disorder.

Help and Resources

If you are in the UK and need support or more information on how to help your child, the following organisations and resources provide expert guidance nationwide:

National Charities and Support Groups

Beat Eating Disorders: The UK’s leading eating disorder charity. They have a specific section for ARFID and offer a dedicated support group called Endeavour, which is an 8-week peer support programme for parents and carers of children and young people.
ARFID Awareness UK: The only UK charity dedicated solely to ARFID. They provide information packs for parents and resources you can hand to your child’s school or GP to help them understand the condition.
The National Centre for Eating Disorders (NCFED): An independent organisation that provides information and a directory of counsellors across the UK who have been specifically trained to work with eating disorders.
Talk ED: A national charity that offers peer-led support for anyone affected by eating struggles. They provide support calls and resources designed to help families feel less alone.

NHS Resources and Guidance

The PEACE Pathway: Originally developed by the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, this resource is now used nationally. It offers practical tools for supporting people with eating difficulties, particularly those with sensory sensitivities or autism.
YoungMinds: A national charity focused on the mental health of children and young people. They offer a parent helpline and specific guides on how to handle eating problems and the anxiety that often goes with them. Parent Helpline: 0808 802 5544

Books for Parents

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: A Guide for Parents and Carers by Rachel Bryant-Waugh. Widely considered the "gold standard" book for UK parents, written by a leading clinical psychologist.
Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating by Katja Rowell and Jenny McGlothlin. A very practical, low-pressure guide to changing the atmosphere at your dinner table and reducing mealtime conflict.