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OSFED & Additional Eating or Feeding Disorders: The Signs, Symptoms, & Impact

Written by nutritiousthoughtsblog on . Posted in Education.

Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder

According to the National Eating Disorder Association…

Formerly described at Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) in the DSM-IV, Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED), is a feeding or eating disorder that causes significant distress or impairment, but does not meet the criteria for another feeding or eating disorder.

Examples of OSFED Include:

  • Atypical anorexia nervosa (weight is not below normal)
  • Bulimia nervosa (with less frequent behaviors)
  • Binge-eating disorder (with less frequent occurrences)
  • Purging disorder (purging without binge eating)
  • Night eating syndrome (excessive nighttime food consumption)

The commonality in all of these conditions is the serious emotional and psychological suffering and/or serious problems in areas of work, school or relationships. If something does not seem right, but your experience does not fall into a clear category, you still deserve attention. If you are concerned about your eating and exercise habits and your thoughts and emotions concerning food, activity and body image, we urge you to consult an ED expert.

Symptoms associated with anorexia nervosa include:

  • Inadequate food intake leading to a weight that is clearly too low.
  • Intense fear of weight gain, obsession with weight and persistent behavior to prevent weight gain.
    • Self-esteem overly related to body image.
    • Inability to appreciate the severity of the situation.
    • Binge-Eating/Purging Type involves binge eating and/or purging behaviors during the last three months.

Restricting Type does not involve binge eating or purging.

Symptoms associated with bulimia nervosa include:

  • Frequent episodes of consuming very large amount of food followed by behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting.
  • A feeling of being out of control during the binge-eatingepisodes.
  • Self-esteem overly related to body image.

Symptoms associated with binge eating disorder include:

  • Frequent episodes of consuming very large amount of food but without behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting.
  • A feeling of being out of control during the binge eating episodes.
  • Feelings of strong shame or guilt regarding the binge eating.
  • Indications that the binge eating is out of control, such as eating when not hungry, eating to the point of discomfort, or eating alone because of shame about the behavior.

 

Additional Eating or Feeding Disorders

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

  • Failure to consume adequate amounts of food, with serious nutritional consequences, but without the psychological features of Anorexia Nervosa.
  • Reasons for the avoidance of food include fear of vomiting or dislike of the textures of the food.

Pica

  • The persistent eating of non-food items when it is not a part of cultural or social norms.

Rumination Disorder

  • Regurgitation of food that has already been swallowed. The regurgitated food is often re-swallowed or spit out.

Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder

  • When behaviors do not meet full criteria for any of the other feeding and eating disorders, but still cause clinically significant problems.
  • Alternatively, when clinician is unable to assess whether an individual meets criterion for another disorder, for example, when there is a lack of information in an emergency situation.