An eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) is an eating disorder that does not meet the criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

EDNOS is the most commonly diagnosed eating disorder in clinical settings. Thus, individuals who have clinically significant eating disorders that do not meet DSM-V criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa are diagnosed with EDNOS.

Individuals with EDNOS usually fall into one of three groups:

• subthreshold symptoms of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa,
• mixed features of both disorders,
• or extremely atypical eating behaviours that are not characterized by either of the other established disorders.

In other words, EDNOS acts as a default category and is defined by what it is not.

Characteristics of EDNOS according to the DSM-IV:

• Meet all criteria for anorexia nervosa except having regular menstrual cycles
• Meet all criteria for anorexia nervosa except their weight falls within the normal range
•  Meet all criteria for bulimia nervosa except they engage in binge eating or purging behaviours less  than twice per week or for fewer than three months
•  Purge after eating small amounts of food while retaining a normal body weight
•  Repeatedly chew and spit out large amounts of food without swallowing
•   Meet criteria for binge eating disorder

Quiz:

To learn more about eating disorders, you can do a quiz:  Eating disorder Quiz.

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