Picky Eating or ARFID?

Picky Eating or ARFID?

From Charting Pediatrics by Children's Hospital Colorado

May 5, 2026 · 32 min · Season 12 · Episode 40

About this episode

This episode discusses ARFID in children, how to differentiate it from typical picky eating, and treatment options for pediatricians.

"Picky eater" is one of the most common labels in pediatrics and one of the easiest to overlook. But when a child's diet is shrinking instead of expanding, when meals are a source of stress instead of routine , or when growth and nutrition start to feel like a question mark , it's worth taking a second look. In this episode, we're discussing ARFID: what it looks like in clinic , how t o spot the difference from typical picky e ating , and how to approach these patients with a sharper clinical lens. In this episode, we are joined by Kimberly Sheffield , PhD . She is an eating disorders psychologist at Children's Hospital Colorado, as well as the C linical D irector of Pediatric Mental Health Institute ( PMHI ) day programs , and the A ssociate T raining D irector for P sychology T raining. Some highlights from this episode include: Specific growth or nutrition patterns that should raise suspicion of ARFID Treatment options pediatricians can manage in clinic Overlap between ARFID and neurodiversity Patterns to look for in certain age groups This episode is underwritten by Ent Credit Union, proud supporter of Charting Pediatrics and Children's Hospital Colorado. Ent is Colorado's…

People in this episode

Guest: Kimberly Sheffield

Topics covered

  • picky eating
  • ARFID
  • pediatric nutrition
  • eating disorders
  • mental health

Keywords

  • picky eating
  • ARFID
  • pediatric mental health
  • nutrition patterns
  • treatment options

Sponsors

Ent Credit Union

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Children's Hospital Colorado

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