In 2010, my eating difficulties were flagged as “significant”, yet I was not referred for specialist support or monitored for nutritional and physical impacts. My ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) diagnosis wasn't even added to my active health records until I pushed for it this year.

This personal experience is far from unique. Many individuals with ARFID suffer severe physical, hormonal, and long-term health consequences that are often overlooked or dismissed. ARFID is a serious eating disorder, and those affected by it deserve better recognition and care within the National Health Service (NHS).

ARFID is characterised by restrictive eating habits that can lead to malnutrition, anemia, and other critical health issues. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, it affects individuals of all ages, and its impacts extend beyond the immediate, often resulting in long-term health challenges including growth delays and increased risk of infection due to weakened immunity.

Crucially, it also causes severe hormonal disruption, delayed puberty, reproductive harm, reduced bone density and chronic musculoskeletal pain — impacts that are very often missed or dismissed until permanent damage has already happened.

Currently, there's a notable lack of adequate resources, recognition, and training for healthcare professionals regarding ARFID in the NHS. This oversight leaves many sufferers without the necessary support and interventions they urgently need. Health professionals often lack the specific training needed to identify ARFID early and provide appropriate care.

We urge the NHS to take the following actions:

1. Implement specialised training programs on ARFID for all healthcare providers, ensuring they can identify and manage this disorder effectively.

2. Develop specific guidelines that require urgent routine checks for nutrition, hormone balance, bone health and development for anyone identified with ARFID or significant restrictive eating.

3. Ensure that ARFID is clearly flagged on active health records so every clinician sees these risks immediately, rather than being buried in old notes.

4. Fund joined‑up care that brings together eating disorder specialists, dietitians, endocrinologists and physiotherapists to support the whole person.

These changes could transform lives by providing necessary support and reducing the risk of long-term health issues associated with untreated ARFID.

By signing this petition, you can advocate for necessary reforms that ensure individuals with ARFID receive the care and attention they so desperately need. Let's work together to ensure that the NHS recognises and adequately addresses the serious physical and health impacts of ARFID. Please sign this petition to be a part of this critical change.