Eating Disorders in Children
| Key things to know | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|
| How common is it? | ~1.0% pooled, but child meta-analysis used broad feeding/eating-disorder definitions |
| Is it more common among children? | EDs occur before adolescence; ARFID/feeding presentations particularly relevant |
| Are children at higher risk? | Developmental period matters |
| How much higher is the risk? | Child pooled ED 1.0% |
| How often can it be missed? | Very High |
| Does it show up differently among children? | Strong Yes |
| How might it look different? | Growth failure, food avoidance, sensory/aversive feeding, ARFID, delayed development; body-image motivation may be absent |
| What commonly occurs alongside it? | Anxiety; autism; ADHD |
| What can it be confused with? | ARFID vs picky eating; GI disease; autism-related food restriction; coeliac disease |
| Common screening tool | Age-appropriate ED screen |
| Separate screening tool for children | ChEAT / child-focused measures |
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