Some nutrition and body image disturbances that do not fit into other eating disorder categories may be classified as “eating disorders not otherwise specified,” or ED-NOS.

Behaviors associated with ED-NOS can include extreme methods of weight regulation, such as over-exercising; chronic dieting; the abuse of diet pills, laxatives, enemas, and/or diuretics (with or without binge eating); chewing and spitting out food; and binge eating at lower frequencies than in binge eating disorder.

While these behaviors are also exhibited by many people suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, they also comprise a category of their own -- and have a strong psychological component. ED-NOS sufferers are overwhelmingly -- but not exclusively -- teenage girls and young women.

An ED-NOS diagnosis means that a person’s body image and nutritional disturbance hinder his or her ability to live an optimal life due to the interference with factors such as health, concentration, job performance, and/or relationships.

Because there are currently no standardized diagnostic criteria for ED-NOS, national statistics are not available. However, approximately half of the clinical patients we see at the Duke Eating Disorders Program fall into this category -- with many of these patients suffering from levels of social and cognitive impairment on par with those suffered by people with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

Learn more about Duke’s eating disorder treatment programs. To schedule an appointment or get a referral, call 919-668-7301 locally or 888-ASK-DUKE (888-275-3853) toll-free.

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Jiang, Wei
• Looney, John G.
• Sangvai, Devdutta G.
• Spratt, Susan E.
• Staples, Betty B.
• Story, Lisa B.
• Surwit, Richard S.
• Weisberg, Laura J.
• Zucker, Nancy L.

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Eating Disorders
  718 Rutherford Street, Durham, NC 27705