ARFID- How Many Daily Calories Average

[Verbena17]

Hi - for those with young adults with ARFID, can I ask roughly how many calories are you ‘happy’ with on average each day?

We’ve been counting calories every day for months and I’d say in general DS probably has around 1700 average. Sometimes (only occasionally) will he go over 2000 and not by much.

it’s of course going to vary as our children are all different heights and weights but just a general idea, at how many calories do you stop worrying about whether they’ve had enough that day?

I don't count my daughters calories

I am more concerned over nutrition

Safe foods dictate calories and she is currently living on bowls full of plain pasta must be twists no other shape is acceptable so plenty of calories but no nutritional content

Thanks @helloisitmeyourelookingfor - so we never used to count calories but sorry, I should have said, DS’ weight is extremely low (75.4% weight for height & he’s 6ft tall) and so since last year, the ED team have been asking us how many calories he’s eating each day and what he has for meals on an average day. He’s in the process of being discharged to hopefully 🤞 the adult ED team but because he is only 8st, I’m keeping counting to help motivate him to eat enough. He likes to know and he says it does motivate him. As well as calorie counting, I’m also keeping an eye on his nutrition so will try to vary his choices - although that’s tricky when his anxiety is really high.

That must be tricky too with your dd only managing pasta.

@Verbena17 & @helloisitmeyourelookingfor can I ask who your DC got diagnosed with ARFID? DD is currently on the pathway for ASD assessment and ARFID is something that we are also looking at.

CAMHS diagnosed

She also has asd and adhd diagnosed

No help from camhs, but they did recognise it

Hi @SiouxsieSiouxStiletto - so when DS was 8, he was assessed by a community paediatrician who mentioned she felt he had ‘selective eating disorder’….which has since been renamed as ARFID.

Then in 2018 I think it was, maybe 2019, he was assessed by our county’s paediatric Community Eating Disorder Team, who used the PARDI assessment (created by Dr Rachel Bryant-Waugh) to confirm he met the criteria for ARFID diagnosis.

For your dd, I would look online for details of your Paediatric Community ED team and then ask your GP to refer your DD to them for assessment.