Meet the people who 'don't like food'.

This article includes descriptions of disordered eating.

"I'm someone who doesn't like food. And today we're going to try bacon and eggs for the first time. Let's see how it goes," says content creator Tom Bennett, as he records himself eating a breakfast roll and giving it a rating.

"Horrible. Horrible," he says, retching. "Didn't go too well today. But we'll try again next time."

The videos, which attract thousands upon thousands of views, are fascinating to watch.

Tom has also just tried a pear for the first time. A sausage. Lasagne. A crumpet. Two-minute noodles. A singular prawn cracker. He even tried a sausage roll on national television.

And we can't look away.

His account is called Tom Tries, and the bio reads: "Join me on an exciting journey of food exploration as someone with food phobia."

Listen to The Quicky discuss the real reasons we hate certain foods here. Post continues below. 

Deliciously mundane and repetitive, the videos all start the same way: Tom introduces himself as someone who 'doesn't like food', and announces the food he is going to try, and asks his followers what they would like to see him eat next.

"Can you try ice cream?" 

"Try mash potato next!"

"Try a zinger burger next."

"Has anyone suggested a Bunnings snag yet? Because if not, try a Bunnings snag."

In one post, Tom describes his usual day of eating. "No breakfast. Lunch: baked beans on toast. Dinner: pizza (pitta bread with Nutlex and tomato sauce) and cup of frozen peas. Snacks: slice of toast."

"Attention seeker" writes one person.

"Is this a joke," said another.

While some of these negative comments would make you believe otherwise, Tom isn't the only person with food phobia trying new foods on the internet.

There's also eight-year-old American Hannah Lea and her mum Michelle Dorit — known better on TikTok as @myarfidlife.

Speaking in an interview with The Cut, Michelle said she started filming her daughter trying different foods to help her exposure her to new things. 

"I would say, 'Why don't we take a video, so we can send it to your therapist,'" said Michelle. "It was honestly the only way she would eat anything new."

At the time of writing, the account now has 285.5K followers who tune in to watch the youngster try a new food — usually one that's on her 'fear-food list'. 

In her videos, Hannah has a strict 'three bite' method, in order to give each food a fair chance. And she describes the flavours and textures of each bite in extreme detail.

For example, broccoli "smells like dirt." 

Green peas taste like "a scoop of grass." 

A cinnamon cookie tastes "spicy" and feels like "a bunch of tiny needles poking through my tongue."

These videos attract hundreds upon hundreds of comments, with many followers encouraging the young girl in her eating journey. However, with each post also comes a wave of negativity, with many calling out Hannah's parents for 'exploiting' their child or simply branding Hannah something of a 'privileged fussy eater.'

One comment reads: "I was born in an era when you eat what's in front of you!"

Another said, "Just eat the food, ain't that hard."

"I don’t think she has something wrong with her. She is just a picky eater," one commenter said.

However, the fact is, this is way more complex than picky eating. These aren't just 'fussy kids' and 'demanding' adults. This is an actual diagnosis.

Watch: The six health benefits of eating chocolate. Post continues below.

It's called ARFID, which stands for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, and it's a relatively new eating disorder that was only introduced as a diagnosis in 2013.

However, while it's been around for over a decade, it's still something we don't really hear about and something that's has received little mainstream attention. Meaning? It's wildly misunderstood.

Because in 2024, as the prevalence of ARFID continues to rise, there seems to be a huge lack of awareness — it's covered in toxic 'fussy eating' misconceptions, which only adds to the stigma and shame around it. And it can have a significant impact on people's health.

So, why is no one talking about it? Mamamia investigates.

What is ARFID?

Ever come across an adult that 'eats like a seven-year-old'? While ARFID is an eating disorder that's commonly seen in children, our lack of understanding has meant that without proper management, the fear and anxiety around eating certain foods commonly follow an individual into adulthood. 

Grace Collinson, Clinical Program Manager at Butterfly Foundation said the seriousness of ARFID is often downplayed and shrouded in misconceptions. The fact is, however, the misdiagnosis or disregard to its severity can have a devastating impact on one's health.

"ARFID is defined as the avoidance or restriction of food intake that can result in significant weight loss, dependence on oral nutritional supplements, or tube feeding.

Unlike eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, those with ARFID behaviours are usually not preoccupied with their body weight or shape. Instead, as Collinson explained, sufferers are "responding to low appetite/food apathy, sensory sensitivity or fear of undesired consequences such as choking."

"As with all eating disorders, there is no single cause of ARFID and it is generally due to a combination of genetic, biological, psychological and sociocultural risk factors," she said.

Why is ARFID so misunderstood?

Despite social media accounts like Tom and Hannah's, unfortunately there is still a massive lack of awareness and understanding about ARFID.

"It was only listed as a diagnosable eating disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth edition (DSM-5) in 2013. However, it is important that people know ARFID is a serious eating disorder with potentially damaging health consequences, not just 'picky eating'."

Again, it's not a diagnosis driven by body issues. "Perhaps the most misunderstood thing about ARFID is that, unlike other eating disorders, there is usually no intention of losing weight or distress in relation to body, shape or size. Rather, there are other unique factors that may cause the individual to have difficulty eating, including anxiety, phobias or a heightened sensitivity to sensory aspects of food."

"It is also important for people to know that ARFID, like all eating disorders, does not discriminate — people do not have to be underweight to have ARFID and it can impact people of any age or gender."

Who is most commonly affected? 

According to a recent report by the Butterfly Foundation, there were 31,341 people in Australia diagnosed with ARFID in 2023, making up three per cent of the 1.1 million people in Australia with eating disorders. 

For a fairly unknown diagnosis, this is huge.

As Collinson revealed, "the ARFID prevalence estimate is likely to be underestimated, as research on prevalence for ARFID is particularly limited given it was only recently listed as a diagnosable eating disorder."

Meaning? There are many people that are potentially flying under the radar, and more research is needed to understand whether there are growing number of ARFID cases in Australia. 

"There is some research that suggests ARFID typically first presents in childhood," added Collinson. "However, general population eating disorder studies exclude children in the sample and likely do not fully capture its prevalence."

"What we do know is that ARFID often co-occurs with other conditions. For example, there is research estimating that 21 per cent of people with autism experience ARFID in their lifetime and that up to 26 per cent of people diagnosed with ARFID will also have ADHD 1."

As Collinson revealed, "ARFID can also often co-occur with other eating disorders and mental health diagnoses including anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, anxiety, depression and trauma."

"Butterfly’s National Helpline team have said anecdotally that while they've noticed more awareness of ARFID among people calling the helpline in recent years, they often hear from individuals and carers who struggle to obtain an accurate diagnosis or support until they have reached a health professional with a specific understanding of eating disorders."

What are some of the common signs of ARFID?

As Collinson told Mamamia, while it can be tough to pinpoint there are some key signs to look out for. 

"Working out whether someone might have ARFID or is just a fussy eater can be difficult, especially in children, but will usually manifest in an extreme aversion to or lack of interest in food," she said.

This is a cause for concern when it "affects their ability to meet their energy and nutritional needs," she added. "resulting in weight loss, malnutrition or an inability to maintain growth and development."

When it comes to specific signs that may indicate someone is struggling with ARFID, it's common for these individuals to appear a very selective eater and have strong negative reactions to certain smells, tastes, textures, or colours of foods. 

It's common for ARFID sufferers to be "highly fearful of new and unfamiliar foods" or show a "lack of interest in eating and have a very low appetite." There's usually also an underlying fear of what might happen when they eat. "For example, experiencing pain, choking, or vomiting," said Collinson. 

When it comes to common risks associated with ARFID, people may show multiple signs or only one sign of ARFID. "While many people may be underweight, some can sustain a normal weight from their limited diet."

"Common health risks associated with ARFID include malnutrition, weight changes, developmental delays, co-occurring anxiety disorders and gastrointestinal complications."

"Some people with ARFID will need hospital treatment to ensure the person receives the nutritional intake they need for their body to function normally and if the eating disorder is causing severe medical complications, such as cardiac or gastrointestinal problems, or blood pressure or heart rate fluctuations."

As with all eating disorders, early intervention and treatment are crucial and will lead to a better understanding and outcome when it comes to properly managing the diagnosis. As Collinson advised, reaching out to your GP or paediatrician can be a good place to start. 

"These health professionals will look for signs of disturbed eating experience alongside nutritional deficiency, weight changes, decline in ability to engage in day-to-day activities and dependence on supplements to maintain nutritional health," she said.

"They will also assess whether the person has a distorted body image and that the feeding disturbance or food restriction is not a result of some other physical or mental illness."

"Lack of understanding and awareness of ARFID, amongst the public and some health care professionals, can be a key barrier to help-seeking and support. Butterfly is here for anyone who is concerned about their own or someone they care about’s relationship with food."

If you're looking where to start, you can also search Butterfly's referral database of credentialed professionals with specific experience in treating ARFID in your location.

For help and support for eating disorders, contact the Butterfly Foundation’s National Support line and online service on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673). 

Feature image: @tomtriesofficial; @myarfidlife.