BDC #31 - EDNOS: the deadliest-but-totally-unwellknown eating disorder

Do you know about eating disorder? Probably you are quite familiar with anorexia and bulimia, or with over-eating lead to obesity. However, are you sure those are the only eating disorders?

UNFORTUNATELY NO

There is the deadliest, the most common, but totally hidden from public attention; the EDNOS, an abbreviation of Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. It is an eating disorder that doesn't yet meet the criteria for anorexia, bulimia, nor obese over-eating, but still has a significant constriction towards eating behaviour. 

There are 3 spectrum of EDNOS in general:

1. those with the threshold similar to anorexia or bulimia,

2. those with mixture of both disorders, or

3. those with extremely atypical to either of the major disorders.

People with EDNOS usually don't go to the super extreme as the 2 major disorders, but they DO experience the same uneasiness, guilt, and unusual obsession towards foods and those thoughts per-occupied their mind and control their lives. In the end, people with EDNOS tend to be "yo-yo dieters". There are series of eating-limitation and binge-eating through the whole life. Thus, in other words, EDNOS is actually the most common eating disorder appeared. HOWEVER, sadly enough, most of therapists categorize people with EDNOS as "Not-sick-enough" and just suggest the patients to "eat properly" and say "it's just only in your mind".

BL**DY HELL!!!

People with EDNOS are as sick as anorexic, bulimic, or food-obsess patients. They are totally exhausted in mind and it might lead to depression, or even worse. They might actually SCREAM for your help.

There are some expert propose to put EDNOS into DSN-5 Eating Disorder group with some subgroups. There are at least 6 subgroups (as written in wikipedia):

1. Atypical Anorexia Nervosa in which all criteria for anorexia nervosa are met except that the individual’s weight is within or above the normal range
2. Subthreshold Bulimia Nervosa (low frequency or limited duration) in which all criteria for bulimia nervosa are met except the binge eating and compensatory behaviors occur on average less than once a week and for less than 3 months
3. Subthreshold Binge Eating Disorder (low frequency or limited duration) in which all criteria for binge eating disorder are met, except the binge eating occurs on average less than once a week and for less than 3 months
4. Purging Disorder (PD) in which patients purge without binging; they consume a normal amount of food and typically maintain normal weight
5. Night Eating Syndrome (NES) in which patients have nocturnal eating episodes, or eat a large proportion of their daily calorie intake after dinner
6. Other Feeding or Eating Condition Not Elsewhere Classified which is a residual category for all other cases that are clinically significant but do not meet the criteria for formal eating disorder diagnoses.

People with EDNOS, as like any other eating disorders, also have high health risks such as osteoporosis, kidney problems, ulcers, heart failure, etc.

THUS....

If you FEEL and THINK you might have eating-behaviour problems
OR you know somebody who might have problems...

SEEK FOR HELP!!!

Don't let the food eat you up !!! 

Check some links for more info:
http://www.waldenbehavioralcare.com/resources/popular-searches/endos-facts/
http://www.b-eat.co.uk/get-help/about-eating-disorders/types-of-eating-disorder1/ednos/
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/eating-disorders-not-otherwise-specified-ednos

 

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