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If your kid plays a sport and is also a picky eater — this episode is 
for you.

ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) is showing up more 
and more in young athletes, and the patterns almost always start years 
before anyone names them. The 14-year-old recovering from her second 
stress fracture? Her food restriction started at age three or four.

In this episode, I sit down with Katie Syvarth, RD, CSSD — a board-
certified sports dietitian based in Kentucky — to walk through what 
ARFID actually looks like in young athletes, why under-fueling and 
stress fractures so often travel with it, and what parents of young 
picky kids should be paying attention to right now — long before 
anyone is talking about diagnoses.

We trace Katie's case study of a teen athlete recovering from her 
second stress fracture all the way back to age three. The signs were 
there. They're often there for the kids in YOUR home too — they just 
look small at the time.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
- How ARFID is different from typical picky eating in athletes
- The "food funnel" — when the list of safe foods gets shorter, not longer
- Why under-fueling and stress fractures often travel together
- Why ~90% of young athletes are under-fueled (and what to do about it)
- How sensory issues, ADHD, autism, anxiety, and OCD overlap with ARFID
- What to do at the table TODAY with your young, picky athlete
- Why pressure tactics backfire (and what works instead)
- How to advocate for your young athlete if you're not being heard
- How to find an ARFID-informed dietitian or therapist

ABOUT KATIE SYVARTH, RD, CSSD:
Katie is a board-certified sports dietitian and the founder of Nutrition 
at Play, based in Kentucky. She works with athletes of all levels — from 
high school competitors to endurance athletes — on under-fueling, 
disordered eating, body image, and ARFID. She blends performance nutrition 
with an all-foods-fit, intuitive approach.

🔗 Connect with Katie:
Website: nutritionatplay.com
Instagram: @nutritionatplay

Get Katie's FREE Download!

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NEW COURSE! "Read the Pattern: Feeding Your Baby 0–4 Months" — because a healthy relationship with food starts earlier than most people think. Course Link!

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only, not medical advice.