26/01/2026
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New NHS Community Eating Disorder Service (CEDS) guidance & ARFID – the positives and the gaps
NHS England has released new guidance for children and young people’s eating disorder services, and ARFID is included. That’s a step forward — but there are still questions.
The positives
• ARFID is recognised as a real eating disorder, not just “fussy eating”
• Children shouldn’t be refused help based only on weight or BMI
• Support should be more tailored to ARFID, not one-size-fits-all
• Services are encouraged to work together (paediatrics, autism/ADHD, feeding teams, schools)
• Families are meant to be supported earlier, not only in crisis
The concerns / gaps
• What about adults with ARFID? This guidance is for children and young people only
• Will this become a postcode lottery, with some areas offering good support and others very little?
• Food allergies and medical diets still aren’t clearly addressed, even though they affect many ARFID families
• Guidance doesn’t always mean change — services still need funding, training and understanding
This guidance gives hope, but time will tell whether it leads to real change on the ground.
Until then, we’ll keep raising awareness, sharing experiences, and speaking up — because parent voices and lived experience matter.
