EDNOS/ATYPICAL EATING DISORDER
What is EDNOS?
Eating disorders are often difficult to categorize: there can be variations in the typical signs and symptoms and not all of the signs and symptoms will apply to all people. The diagnosis EDNOS, or Atypical Eating Disorder is frequently used for people who meet some, but not all, of the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder or Bulimia Nervosa.Signs, Symptoms and Effects
Some common EDNOS behaviors are as follows (please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list): Chronic dieting. Categorizing foods as either 'safe' or 'not safe'. Starving regularly. Eliminating entire food groups from your diet. Obsession with exercise. Bingeing and/or purging, but not more than once a week. Feeling guilty after eating. Chewing and spitting. Substituting supplements and fad diets for real food. Skipping social occasions because you feel fat, or because you are afraid of what's being served, yet your weight is normal. Orthorexia (obsession with healthy eating). Distorted body image. Believing that everyone is as focused on your weight as you. Refusing to eat regular meals. Obsession with food and weight.Just because a person doesn’t fit the medical criteria for Anorexia or Bulimia does not mean they do not have an eating disorder that requires attention. You do not have to be underweight to have an eating disorder - most disordered eaters are normal weight or overweight. If your motivations towards food and exercise are based on 'psychic' rather than 'physical' needs, you need to know that your struggle is important, and worthy of seeking out appropriate medical help: the dangers associated with having EDNOS are often as severe as with Anorexia or Bulimia and can include the risk of heart attacks, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and even death.