Theria is the new name to describe the avoidant or restrictive food intake disorder. It consists of a restrictive diet that has nothing to do with the fear of gaining weight. There is also no distortion of body image. The avoidance is due to a disgust or fear of food, or of choking or vomiting.
It should not be confused with food neophobia, which is a normal stage in the growth of children and consists of the refusal to try new foods. Nor with tricks or whims. According to Juana Poulisis, a psychiatric doctor, “it is very important to understand that someone with teria is not capricious or selective. It is a psychiatric disorder, there are biological traits behind it and it is related to the functioning of the brain: something generated the habits and food selections”.
It is also important to clarify that this disorder does not have its origin in the difficulty in acquiring food or in cultural or religious practices.
THE THREE TYPES OF THERY
The disorder can present itself in three different ways:
1. How avoidance or disgust by the characteristics of the food, for example its taste, color, smell, texture, temperature, etc.
2. How fear of choking or vomiting that is not related to functional alterations, for example reflux.
3. For one lack of interest in eating or feeding.
The age of onset of the disease is around 9 years old and it is common in both girls and boys. It can also occur in conjunction with other pathologies, such as anxiety disorders, panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder, but the association with depression is not frequent, as it occurs in other eating disorders.
YOUR HEALTH RISKS
The malnutrition and vitamin and mineral deficiency They are your biggest risks. Depending on the degree of restriction and weight loss, patients may be forced to receive artificial feeding with tubes or the use of supplements, which often end up aggravating the psychiatric condition.
The same malnutrition can lead to growth problems, interruption of menstruation or the absence of its manifestation, tiredness, anemia, fatigue and cardiovascular problems. The disease also alters interpersonal and family relationships, generating isolation, family discussions during meals, poor school performance, etc.
HOW TO ACT AGAINST THIS DISORDER?
In the first place, making a consultation with a specialist in eating disorders who can, over time, arrive at the diagnosis and put together an interdisciplinary team. As in any disease, knowing the name and what it is about is key to knowing how to manage it.
Part of the treatment consists of the repeated exposure of the patient to the rejected food, and this requires parents to be patient and able to understand and respect the rhythm of the disease, without forcing or forcing the children to eat. Specialists also advise maintaining a relaxed and pleasant climate during the family meal, avoiding discussions and tense moments so as not to increase the rejection of food.