OSFED Treatment
What is Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder (OSFED)?
Although the diagnostic criteria for eating disorders has been revised in recent years, eating disorders can present themselves in diverse ways and do not always fit into one well-defined category. Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) is an eating disorder that either does not fit all the criteria for one of the other specific eating disorders or is a mixture of more than one eating disorder. Research has found that OSFED is just as severe in presentation and potential harm for individuals as other eating disorders, which has allowed treatment providers to provide a diagnosis for individuals struggling with significant eating disorder symptoms and insurance companies to cover treatment for OSFED. The warning signs and symptoms are the same as for other eating disorders.
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Warning Signs of OSFED
- Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body type, age, and activity level
- Intense fear of weight gain
- Feeling overweight despite dramatic weight loss
- Loss of menstrual periods
- Extreme concern with body weight and shape
- Repeated episodes of binging and purging
- Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness
- Purging after a binge typically by self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills and/or diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting
- Frequent dieting
- Extreme concern with body weight and shape
Overview of ODFED
Examples of OSFED
Provided below are some common examples of OSFED; however, everyone’s experience is unique. If you’re asking yourself, “do I have OSFED?” and you’re concerned about your eating/exercise habits as well as your thoughts and emotions concerning food, and body image, we urge you to consult an eating disorder expert because you may have OSFED eating disorder.
- Atypical Anorexia Nervosa - meets all criteria for anorexia except the individual's weight is within normal limits despite significant weight loss
- Binge Eating Disorder (of low frequency and/or limited duration) - meets all criteria for binge eating disorder except frequency and duration of engaging behaviors
- Bulimia Nervosa (of low frequency and/or limited duration) - meets all criteria for bulimia except frequency and duration of engaging in behaviors
- Purging Disorder - recurrent purging behaviors without the presence of binge eating
- Night Eating Syndrome - recurrent episodes of night eating that involves either waking up from sleep and eating, or eating large amounts of food after an evening meal
The commonality in all these conditions is the serious emotional and psychological impact they can have on one’s work, school, relationships, and overall life. Treatment from a multidisciplinary team at an eating disorder center such as Shoreline can help alleviate the impact of OSFED and improve one’s quality of life.
Shoreline’s OSFED Treatment Center
Our OSFED Treatment Programs
- Residential Treatment
- Day Treatment/Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)