(OSFED) Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder
Other Specified Feeing and Eating Disorder or OSFED is a category of eating disorder in which behaviors surrounding food and eating cause clinically significant distress and impairment in areas of functioning, but do not meet the full criteria for any of the other feeding and eating disorders. A diagnosis of OSFED does not mean you have a less serious eating disorder. It can simply mean that you have symptoms from several different types of eating disorder or do not meet even just one criteria of a diagnostic category. Around 30% of people who seek treatment for an eating disorder have OSFED.
The following are examples for OSFED:
Atypical Anorexia Nervosa: All criteria are met, except despite significant weight loss, the individual’s weight is within or above the normal range.
Binge Eating Disorder (of low frequency and/or limited duration): All of the criteria for BED are met, except at a lower frequency and/or for less than three months.
Bulimia Nervosa (of low frequency and/or limited duration): All of the criteria for Bulimia Nervosa are met, except that the binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behavior occurs at a lower frequency and/or for less than three months.
Purging Disorder: Recurrent purging behavior to influence weight or shape in the absence of binge eating
Night Eating Syndrome: Recurrent episodes of night eating. Eating after awakening from sleep, or by excessive food consumption after the evening meal. The behavior is not better explained by environmental influences or social norms. The behavior causes significant distress/impairment. The behavior is not better explained by another mental health disorder (e.g. BED).