Individuals with OSFED may present with the abnormal eating behaviours seen in anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder such as a distorted body image / over-evaluation of shape and weight / an intense fear of gaining weight, however they will not meet the full criteria for a diagnosis of these disorders.
OSFED is the most common eating disorder diagnosed for both adults and adolescents, affecting both males and females.
This category is no less serious than a diagnosis of Anorexia, Bulimia or Binge Eating Disorder.
Some examples of OSFED include:
- Atypical anorexia nervosa – where the individuals weight is not below normal
- Atypical bulimia nervosa – with less frequent behaviors of bingeing and purging
- Binge-eating disorder – with less frequent occurrences of bingeing
- Purging disorder – engaging in purging (self-induced vomiting) without binge eating
- Night eating syndrome – excessive nighttime food consumption