Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder

Many individuals experience disordered eating behavior that results in significant distress, impaired functioning, and severe health risk, but symptoms may not fall neatly into the category of Anorexia, Bulimia, or BED. This is the most common eating disorder diagnosis; examples include:

• Atypical anorexia – all criteria for AN are met except for significant weight loss

• Bulimia nervosa of low frequency/limited duration – all criteria for BN are met with the exception that binge/purge episodes occur less than once a week and/or for less than 3 months

• Binge-eating disorder of low frequency/limited duration – all criteria for BN are met with the exception that binge eating episodes occur less than once a week and/or for less than 3 months

• Purging disorder – recurrent purging behavior intended to influence weight/shape (e.g. vomiting, misuse of laxatives or diuretics) in absence of binge eating

• Night eating syndrome – recurrent episodes of night eating (excessive food consumption after evening meal or by eating after awakening from sleep) that causes significant distress and/or impaired functioning; individuals are aware and can recall eating; night eating not explained by sleep-wake cycle; not attributable to substance abuse, medication effect, or another mental or medical disorder