Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED)
WHAT IS OSFED?OSFED is a serious mental condition that, like all eating disorders, affects not just how a person views food but also their underlying emotions and ideas. The eating problem may be a coping mechanism for these ideas or a means of gaining control.
A list of behavioural, psychological, and physical symptoms is used to diagnose anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. There are occasions when a person's symptoms don't quite match the typical ones for any of these three particular eating disorders. When a person exhibits symptoms that could be indicative of an eating disorder but doesn't fully satisfy the criteria for anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder, they may be diagnosed with Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED), formerly known as EDNOS.
These symptoms really interfere with your life or make it difficult for you in the areas that matter the most. They frequently develop slowly and go unnoticed for a while. OSFED makes up the majority of eating disorders, and it can affect people of any age, gender, racial or cultural origin. It can progress into or become another diagnosis and is just as bad as binge eating disorder, bulimia, or anorexia.
Just like anybody else with an eating disorder, people with OSFED need and deserve therapy.
Start your journey to OSFED recovery today. As an award-winning hospital group, Schoen Clinic UK Group offers evidence-based, outcome-focused treatments for eating disorders. We welcome both NHS and private patients at our leading eating disorder hospitals in Birmingham and York, and private patients at our highly specialised eating disorder clinic in Chelsea, London. We're recognised by all major private health insurers and our compassionate teams are here to help you with the claims process or any questions you may have.
What are the signs of OSFED?
Other Specific Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED), formerly known as EDNOS, are diagnosed when a person displays symptoms suggestive of a feeding or eating disorder but does not fully meet the criteria for anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder. These symptoms severely disrupt you or make things challenging for you in the areas of your life that matter most. Frequently, they go unnoticed for a while as they develop.
"Atypical anorexia nervosa" is an example of another specific feeding and eating problem. This group of people includes those who may have dropped a significant amount of weight and whose behaviours and level of fear of weight gain are consistent with anorexia nervosa, but who are still not yet labelled underweight based on their BMI because their starting weight was above average.
What are the symptoms of OSFED?
Young people who are going through these problems might not become aware of them until they start complaining of physical health issues like insomnia, muscle weakness, gastrointestinal issues, and other connected issues. Young people with OSFED may attempt to hide their illness, and any physical symptoms, if present, may not manifest for some time after the person first gets unwell. Any of the binge eating disorder, anorexia, or bulimia symptoms can be a part of OSFED, and they would carry the same immediate and long-term risks as with these specific eating disorders.
OSFED symptoms
The symptoms of OSFED are highly variable but will be similar to the disorder that it most-resembles. The wide range of symptoms are therefore very variable and may differ in severity. This adds to the potential for the diagnosis to be delayed.
Causes of OSFED
- Genetic vulnerability: sometimes illustrated by family history of eating disorders or other mental health disorders
- Societal or occupational pressure to look a certain way
- Experience of trauma, including abuse
- Experience of anxiety, obsessional or perfectionistic traits
- Experience of depression or low self-esteem
- Experience of criticism of own food intake, weight or bodily appearance, i.e. bullying
Many individuals with OSFED have either had bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, or BED in the past or may develop one of these disorders in the future.
- Having no other symptoms but a fixation with weight and body type
- "Atypical anorexia nervosa" is an example of another specific feeding and eating problem. This group of people includes those who may have dropped a significant amount of weight and whose behaviours and level of fear of weight gain are consistent with anorexia nervosa, but who are still not yet labelled underweight based on their BMI because their starting weight was above average.
- Bulimia nervosa of low frequency and/or limited length or Binge Eating Disorder of low frequency and/or limited duration are terms used to describe episodes of binge eating and purging that happen infrequently.
- To manage their weight, the person may engage in purging behaviours like vomiting and abusing laxatives, but this is not a sign of bulimia, which is characterised by binge/purge cycles.
- As part of the "night eating syndrome," a person may binge eat after their evening meal or when they wake up in the middle of the night. This can be really upsetting and isn't explained by any other conditions or circumstances.
OSFED symptoms are not always obvious. As certain OSFED symptoms may overlap with those of other illnesses, it is beneficial to get familiar with the signs of other eating disorders such anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and BED. Although changes in your eating habits and connection with food may be warning indicators, each individual is unique, so these changes may appear in many ways.
This adds to the potential for the diagnosis to be delayed. These disorders may go unnoticed by young people until they begin to experience physical health problems like insomnia, muscle weakness, gastrointestinal problems, and other related concerns.
Individuals with OSFED may make an effort to conceal their condition, and any physical symptoms, if any, may not become apparent right away when the person first feels ill.
Any bulimia, anorexia, or binge eating disorder symptoms might be a component of OSFED, and they would pose the same short- and long-term dangers as with these particular eating disorders.
There are various types of OSFED, including, but not limited to:
- Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
- Atypical anorexia
- Pica
- Night eating disorder
- Rumination disorder
When individuals have avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), they limit or avoid certain foods. A person with ARFID does not restrict their nutritional intake because they are concerned about their weight or physical appearance, in contrast to someone with anorexia nervosa. They could refrain from or restrict their meals for a number of other reasons.
These consist of:
- Experiencing a traumatic event involving a certain food
- Having sensitivity to the flavour, aroma, texture, or warmth of food
- Having little desire to eat
A person with pica is more prone to consume non-food objects like paper, chalk, paint, soap, cotton wool etc. People with pica typically consume regular foods, thus they often get the nutrients they need. However, many of the foreign substances they consume can be dangerous and cause a number of problems, including as poisoning, tooth fractures, infections, and illnesses.
People who suffer from rumination disorder repeatedly regurgitate undigested or partially digested food that they've consumed, chew it again, and then either spit it out or reswallow it. It supposedly tastes normal and isn't acidic like vomit because it hasn't yet been digested. Rumination often occurs right after every meal.
It's unclear how widespread this condition is. Medication or behavioural therapy may be used during treatment. The most popular kind of treatment is behavioural therapy, which entails training patients to breathe through their diaphragm.
- Genetic vulnerability: sometimes illustrated by family history of eating disorders or other mental health disorders
- Societal or occupational pressure to look a certain way
- Experience of trauma, including abuse
- Experience of anxiety, obsessional or perfectionistic traits
- Experience of depression or low self-esteem
- Experience of criticism of own food intake, weight or bodily appearance, i.e. bullying
Highly specialised treatment for OSFED
The treatment we offer for OSFED at Schoen Clinic is similar to the treatment we offer for anorexia, bulimia nervosa and BED. We offer a wide variety of interventions and support that is extremely thorough and holistic to target each aspect of the eating disorder. This means that we are able to identify the recovery mechanisms, which will vary depending on the patient. Each patient will receive a highly individualised treatment plan.
Based on the severity of your symptoms and the context of any additional mental health, wellness, or physical health requirements, we will jointly arrange your care and support. We'll advise you on the best course of action for you after our assessments together, including outpatient, day patient, or inpatient settings.
