This diagnosis may be given if you do not meet the full criteria for other eating disorders, or if you have considerable difficulties around food and eating but do not fit neatly into one of the above categories. These eating disorders have many of the same characteristics as the other eating disorders and carry the same physical and psychological risks. They are no less distressing or serious.
Some specific examples of OSFED include:
- Atypical anorexia – where someone has all the symptoms a doctor looks for to diagnose anorexia, except their weight remains within or above the “normal” range.
- Bulimia nervosa (of low frequency and/or limited duration) – where someone has all of the symptoms of bulimia, except the binge/purge cycles don’t happen as often or over as long a period of time as doctors would use to diagnose bulimia.
- Binge eating disorder (of low frequency and/or limited duration) – where someone has all of the symptoms of binge eating disorder, except the binges don’t happen as often or over as long a period of time as doctors would use to diagnose binge eating disorder.
- Purging disorder – where someone purges, for example by being sick or using laxatives, to affect their weight or shape, but this isn’t as part of binge/purge cycles.
Night eating syndrome – where someone repeatedly eats at night, either after waking up from sleep, or by eating a lot of food after their evening meal.
