Table of Contents
What is Selective Eating Disorder?
Selective or restrictive eating behaviors usually begin in childhood and continue into adulthood. Unlike normal picky eating behaviors, selective eating disorder has extremely limited food choices, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies. Disgust or fear of certain textures, appearance, or sensory qualities of many foods causes a mental block that prevents sufferers from eating certain foods. Some sufferers eat so little that they lose a lot of weight. This video by reporter , a WDR format , shows what life with a selective eating disorder can look like .
Causes and treatment of selective eating disorder
The causes of a selective eating disorder are often unclear and those affected are not necessarily aware of them. Irrespective of the cause, however, it can help those affected to know that the clinical picture of the selective eating disorder exists at all, that they are not the only ones affected and that there are treatment options, for example in the form of psychotherapeutic treatment .
Possible causes include:
- Sensory processing disorders
- Traumatic experiences with a certain food
- colic in infancy,
- hypersensitive taste buds,
- Swallow.
If you or people around you are or could possibly be affected by an eating disorder, you will find the relevant offers of help from the Federal Center for Health Education here.
