Many with Eating Disorders are diagnosed with EDNOS. Those with EDNOS suffer the same signs, symptoms, health risks, and emotional turmoil as anyone else with eating disorders but may find it more difficult receiving treatment due to not meeting the criteria that qualifies them for treatment coverage from their insurance carrier.
Warning signs may include, but are not limited to:
- Hiding food to avoid eating
- Limiting food to certain types
- Excessive exercise
- Binging; eating a large amount of food in one sitting
- Use of laxatives or diuretics
- Hiding eating behavior due to embarrassment/shame
- Overeating to the point of feeling sick
- Showing unhealthy interest in weight and/or body image
- Purposely going long periods of time without eating
- Obsessing over calorie/fat content of foods
Diagnostic Criteria
1 For females, all the criteria for Anorexia Nervosa are met except that the individual has regular menses.2 All the criteria for Anorexia Nervosa are met except that, despite significant weight loss, the individual’s current weight is in the normal range.3 All the criteria for Bulimia Nervosa are met except that the binge eating and inappropriate compensatory mechanisms occur at a frequency of less than twice a week or for a duration of less than 3 months.4 The regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviour by an individual of normal body weight after eating small amounts of food (e.g. self-induced vomiting after the consumption of two biscuits.5 Repeatedly chewing and spitting out, but not swallowing, large amounts of food.
6 Binge-eating disorder: recurrent episodes of binge eating in the absence of the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviours characteristic of Bulimia Nervosa. (Eating Disorders Org)
EDNOS is still a Disorder!
It is important to recognize that despite the lack of specific classification the presence of EDNOS symptoms is serious. The potential exists for these symptoms to develop into a categorical diagnostic eating disorder. Should a person NOT eventually exhibit such symptoms of a more specifically classified eating disorder the results can still be severe and most seriously, death. Any person exhibiting any symptoms above or additional symptoms ... should immediately consult a trained medical professional or psychiatrist for treatment. (EatingDisordersOnline)
If you, or someone you know, has EDNOS, it is extremely important that you take action and seek help.
Please see sidebar for link to Eating Disorders Help: Hotlines, Organizations, Websites
FINDING Balance : dedicated to consumer awareness and understanding of EDNOS
Sources:
http://www.eatingdisorders.org.nz/What-is-the-DSM.836.0.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_disorder_not_otherwise_specified
http://eatingdisordersonline.com/explain/ednos.php
picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sylvia/94180907/
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