Latest news with #ARFID
The Age
4 days ago
- Health
- The Age
‘It gave me hope': How a single AI session put Kelly on a path to eating disorder recovery
Thirty-three-year-old Kelly has struggled with an eating disorder for most of her life. But it's only in the past few years, with the help of AI, that the tide started to turn. As a child, Kelly, who is using a pseudonym for privacy reasons, developed Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), meaning she significantly limited the volume or kinds of food she consumed. A former ballet dancer, she says the culture around exercise and disordered eating also contributed to the development of anorexia. Kelly was part of the trial for a world-first artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, called Eating Disorder Electronic Single-Session Intervention, or ESSI for short. The chatbot's lived experience videos and the opportunity to talk to a neutral party to arrive at a diagnosis were unlike anything she'd experienced in the healthcare system before. 'Anytime I have tried to seek help, I was really invalidated,' she says. Certain behaviours, like purging without bingeing, meant she slipped through the cracks. Loading 'It [ESSI] gave me hope,' says Kelly, who is now in treatment. Professor Gemma Sharp, founding director of The Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders, led the development of the chatbot, and says the main impetus for its design is the long wait times, exacerbated after COVID, patients faced before accessing clinical treatment. The ED ESSI™ chatbot was originally developed at Monash University and is now owned and managed by Sharp.
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘It gave me hope': How a single AI session put Kelly on a path to eating disorder recovery
Thirty-three-year-old Kelly has struggled with an eating disorder for most of her life. But it's only in the past few years, with the help of AI, that the tide started to turn. As a child, Kelly, who is using a pseudonym for privacy reasons, developed Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), meaning she significantly limited the volume or kinds of food she consumed. A former ballet dancer, she says the culture around exercise and disordered eating also contributed to the development of anorexia. Kelly was part of the trial for a world-first artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, called Eating Disorder Electronic Single-Session Intervention, or ESSI for short. The chatbot's lived experience videos and the opportunity to talk to a neutral party to arrive at a diagnosis were unlike anything she'd experienced in the healthcare system before. 'Anytime I have tried to seek help, I was really invalidated,' she says. Certain behaviours, like purging without bingeing, meant she slipped through the cracks. Loading 'It [ESSI] gave me hope,' says Kelly, who is now in treatment. Professor Gemma Sharp, founding director of The Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders, led the development of the chatbot, and says the main impetus for its design is the long wait times, exacerbated after COVID, patients faced before accessing clinical treatment. The ED ESSI™ chatbot was originally developed at Monash University and is now owned and managed by Sharp.
7NEWS
21-05-2025
- Health
- 7NEWS
Olympian Lisa Curry pleads for help to find genetic link in deadly disorder that claimed daughter's life
One of the nation's greatest swimmers is appealing to Australians to potentially save lives from a disorder that claimed her own daughter's life. Triple Olympian Lisa Curry is leading a national appeal for 4000 adults with lived experience of an eating disorder to join the world's largest genetics investigation into the risk factors driving these complex illnesses. The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative 2 (EDGI2) aims to pinpoint the hundreds of genes influencing a person's risk of developing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), to improve treatment, and save lives. WATCH ABOVE: Lisa Curry pleads for Australians to join research study. The mother of three is a champion of mental and physical wellness who is supporting EDGI2 due to the heartbreaking loss of her daughter Jaimi, 33, to long-term health challenges, including anorexia nervosa. 'Too little is known about eating disorders, which affect over a million Australians,' Curry said, 'Eating disorders remain among the most stigmatised mental health conditions. This stigma often prevents people from seeking help, making things worse. 'Individuals and families affected by eating disorders deserve answers, earlier intervention, and personalised treatments that work. Curry's appeal for study volunteers, in partnership with researchers, doctors and patients Australia-wide, coincides with the publication of an article in the Medical Journal of Australia's Insight+, revealing how the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors in eating disorders has hindered effective treatment breakthroughs. In 2023, 1.1 million Australians were living with an eating disorder, equating to one in 23 people or almost five per cent of the Australian adult population. The prevalence of eating disorders appears to be on the rise, with a 21 per cent increase observed in Australia over 11 years. Many factors influence eating disorders, including genetics, developmental transitions (including puberty, childbirth, and menopause), thinking styles (such as perfectionism), body dissatisfaction, and sociocultural pressures to be thin. Mental health peer support worker and mother-of-three, Lauren, 35, from Adelaide, has battled anorexia nervosa for 14 years. She started feeling insecure about her body at just four years of age, and at 12 was finally diagnosed with the eating disorder. 'I started restricting my food, adopting an obsessive diet that cut out everything except meat. I had no carbs or bread. I found myself stepping on the scales multiple times a day. I was obsessed with my weight,' Lauren said. 'Anorexia nervosa took over every part of my life. It felt like no one truly knew me, or recognised what I was going through.' Lauren's first pregnancy intensified her struggle with anorexia nervosa. It wasn't until the new mum turned 26 that she sought professional help and commenced her recovery. Lauren suspects genetics may contribute, as her sister also suffered from an eating disorder. 'My eating disorder was triggered by many factors. That's why it's important we look at what role genetics plays,' she said. According to lead Australian EDGI2 investigator, Professor Nick Martin, this new study builds on the groundbreaking progress of the original EDGI investigation, and the collaborative Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI), which identified the first eight genes linked to anorexia nervosa, highlighting both psychiatric and metabolic causes of the illness. 'This discovery was completely unexpected, and requires urgent replication and further study to fully understand the pathways leading to anorexia nervosa,' Martin said. 'That's why a larger sample size is crucial, which is the aim of EDGI2. 'While rigorous research shows genes account for more than half the risk of eating disorders, we still lack understanding and accurate tools to predict their progression, or response to treatment. 'A larger, more diverse sample will enhance our understanding of genetic risks, vulnerabilities, and protective factors, leading to earlier, more personalised treatments, and better predictions of disease progression and future risk. Clinical psychologist and EDGI2 Australia chief investigator Professor Sarah Maguire OAM explained eating disorders can affect people of any age, weight, size, shape, cultural background, or identity, and significantly compromise quality of life. 'They impact the individual, and their family in just about every way possible – professionally, personally, emotionally and psychologically,' she said. 'Eating disorders can also have serious medical consequences, they have a strong link to depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, social isolation, and sometimes, suicide. 'Their medical complications may include cognitive impairment, heart issues, growth retardation and osteoporosis. 'The eating disorders mortality rate is significantly higher than other psychiatric conditions, mainly due to medical complications, and the rate of suicide. 'Importantly, eating disorders are treatable. Research advances like EDGI2, which enhance understanding of genetic and environmental factors, along with early detection and personalised treatment, are key to recovery and improved patient management. Executive Director, Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA), and lived-experience carer Jane Rowan emphasises 'eating disorders are not a choice – they are serious mental illnesses. 'However, with early intervention and a comprehensive approach that addresses the physical, psychological, and social aspects of an eating disorder, recovery is possible for everyone, regardless of severity or stage of illness,' she said.
New York Post
06-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
I've ‘never' eaten fruit, veggies or meat — I survive off two loaves of bread a day
A man with a rare condition has 'never' eaten fruit, vegetables or meat – and survives on two loaves of bread a day. Thomas Sheridan, 35, says the thought of biting into an egg and sausage sandwich leaves him feeling 'horrible' and would make him 'throw up'. Advertisement After decades years battling his food aversions and being dismissed as a 'picky eater', Thomas was finally diagnosed with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in 2023 at the age of 33. The condition leaves him unable to eat foods and he doesn't have any understanding of most textures or tastes – as he feels physically sick at the thought of taking a bit of fruit or vegetable. 3 Thomas' condition leaves him with a very limited diet. William Lailey / SWNS Thomas survives on a diet of white toast with butter, three bowls of Shreddies and Haribo sweets – and takes protein supplements to get the vitamins he needs – but longs to be able to enjoy a bowl of stew. Advertisement Thomas has been prescribed antidepressants but this hasn't helped and he has 'become accustomed' to his condition. He is fundraising the $8K needed to pay for private hypnotherapy which he hopes will help him achieve his 'dream' of sitting down for a shared meal with his family. Thomas, who is currently unable to work due to his health, from Liverpool, said: 'It's torture. Advertisement 'I'm not living at the moment, I'm only surviving. 'I want to live a normal life and be able to go to work and not feel like a freak. 'It's closed so many doors for me.' Thomas' aversion to certain foods first became evident when he was a toddler. Advertisement Born weighing 9lbs, his parents say there were no signs of unusual feeding habits until he was 18 months old and 'one day I just shut my mouth'. Thomas was told he was taken to the doctors – with one suggesting his parents, Tom, 65, and Sheila, 59, 'just starve him' to the point he'd eat. His dad also tried to 'bribe' him with gifts but to no avail. 3 His parents enabled him, allowing him to return home for toast instead of school lunch. William Lailey / SWNS Thomas said he can't even try most foods as his mouth 'just closes over' and previous attempts led to him feeling physically sick. When he was at school, Thomas' parents allowed him to go home at lunchtime to eat toast – instead of trying to force down school lunches. He said: 'It [the disorder] didn't really affect me until I was about 18, because I had a small bubble of people I was around. Advertisement 'When you become an adult, you see people's opinions change of you, when they know you've got an eating disorder. 'Because the school didn't know anything about it, when they gave me work experience, they put me in a college, in the catering department. 'I was prepping all the foods, I was quite good at it and then I thought about going to college, maybe about food. 'I mentioned it, and then people were just like 'what's the point of that, you can't even eat a chip?'.' Advertisement Thomas struggles with socializing when plans are based around going out for food and often feels 'isolated'. He said: 'There was one time when we started drinking and everyone used to talk about bacon sandwiches when they were roughed up. 'I attempted to make an egg and sausage butty one day and as soon as the egg touched my mouth I vomited about 10 feet across the room.' Thomas is currently unemployed due to his condition which, he says, leaves him physically unable to work. Advertisement 'The last time I worked over a 10-day period, I lost 21 pounds,' he said. 3 His limited diet of cereal and bread has forced him to take vitamins. William Lailey / SWNS He says being unable to work often means he struggles to afford foods he relies on – like Weetabix. Thomas has also recently been prescribed food supplements to make up for the shortage of nutrients in his restricted diet. Advertisement But he can only consume certain flavors – with a taste profile he is familiar with. Thomas' restricted diet has left him unable to put on weight and at his lowest he weighed just 8st 2lbs. He maintains his current weight by regularly eating his beige diet of two loaves of bread, three bowls of cereal, and a packet of Hula Hoops. Thomas says he's tried therapy – one of the treatments suffers of ARFID are usually referred for – but says the 'inconsistencies' caused him to struggle. He said: 'They said 'you'll probably get a different person every time. We can't guarantee you the same person.' Unlike anorexia or bulimia nervosa, ARFID lacks the awareness of other eating disorders and only appeared on the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases in 2022. The British dietetic association recognized ARFID as an eating disorder in 2013. Thomas says he's never met another person diagnosed with the same condition. He is now looking to raise $8,000 to pay for private hypnotherapy that may enable him to expand his diet.
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'Rare condition means I only eat bread, cereal and Hula Hoops every day'
Thomas Sheridan says he can't work because of his disorder, and he dreams of being able to sit down with his family to ea A man suffering from a rare disorder has revealed he's "never" consumed fruit, vegetables or meat, instead subsisting on two loaves of bread daily. Thomas Sheridan, 35, admits that the mere thought of sinking his teeth into an egg and sausage sandwich fills him with dread, to the point where he'd "throw up". After years of struggling with his peculiar food dislikes and being brushed off as merely a "fussy eater", Thomas was finally diagnosed with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in 2023 when he was 33. The condition renders him incapable of consuming certain foods, leaving him clueless about most tastes and textures, as the idea of even nibbling on a piece of fruit or vegetable induces nausea. Thomas gets by on a diet of white toast slathered in butter, three bowls of Shreddies, and Haribo sweets, supplementing his nutrition with protein shakes to meet his vitamin needs. However, he yearns for the day he can savour a bowl of scouse. Despite being prescribed antidepressants, Thomas hasn't found relief and has resigned himself to living with his condition. He is currently raising funds to cover the £6k cost of private hypnotherapy sessions, hoping this could be the key to realising his "dream" of enjoying a communal meal with his family, reports the Liverpool Echo. Thomas, who hails from Liverpool and is presently unable to work due to his health issues, confessed: "It's torture. I'm not living at the moment, I'm only surviving. I want to live a normal life and be able to go to work and not feel like a freak. It's closed so many doors for me." Thomas' reluctance to try different foods surfaced when he was just a toddler. Despite being a healthy 9lbs at birth, it wasn't until he reached 18 months that his parents noticed something amiss, with Thomas recalling, "one day I just shut my mouth". He recounted being taken to various doctors, one of whom shockingly advised his parents, Tom, aged 65, and Sheila, 59, to "just starve him" until he felt compelled to eat. His father even resorted to "bribe" attempts with presents, but nothing worked. Thomas explained that attempting new foods is a no-go for him as his mouth "just closes over", and past efforts have made him feel sick. During his school years, his parents permitted him to come home for lunch to have toast, rather than pushing him to eat the school meals. Reflecting on the impact of his condition, Thomas shared: "It didn't really affect me until I was about 18, because I had a small bubble of people I was around. When you become an adult, you see people's opinions change of you, when they know you've got an eating disorder." His experience at school further highlighted the lack of awareness, as he said, "Because the school didn't know anything about it, when they gave me work experience, they put me in a college, in the catering department. I was prepping all the foods, I was quite good at it and then I thought about going to college, maybe about food." However, when he voiced this idea, the response was dismissive: "I mentioned it, and then people were just like 'what's the point of that, you can't even eat a chip?'". Thomas admits he feels "isolated" when social occasions involve eating out, recalling a particularly rough experience: "There was one time when we started drinking and everyone used to talk about bacon sandwiches when they were roughed up. "I attempted to make an egg and sausage butty one day and as soon as the egg touched my mouth I vomited about 10 feet across the room." Currently out of work due to his condition which renders him physically unfit for work, Thomas shared: "The last time I worked over a 10-day period, I lost a stone and a half,". He is facing the tough reality that not working hinders his ability to purchase staple foods like Weetabix. Thomas has been prescribed nutritional supplements to counteract his diet's lack of variety. He can tolerate only specific flavours that he's accustomed to. His dietary limitations have resulted in difficulty gaining weight, with his lowest point being just 8st 2lbs. To maintain his current weight, he sticks to a bland diet of two loaves of bread, three bowls of cereal, and a packet of Hula Hoops daily. Thomas revealed he has sought therapy, a common recommendation for ARFID sufferers, but found the "inconsistencies" challenging. He explained the difficulty with therapy consistency: "They said 'you'll probably get a different person every time. We can't guarantee you the same person." Unlike anorexia or bulimia nervosa, ARFID doesn't have the same level of recognition and only made it onto the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases in 2022. However, the British Dietetic Association acknowledged ARFID as an eating disorder back in 2013. Thomas reveals he has never encountered another individual diagnosed with the same condition. He is now on a mission to raise £6k for private hypnotherapy that could potentially broaden his dietary horizons. To contribute to his fundraising efforts, click here.
