Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)

Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) is the diagnosis given for an eating disorder that does not meet all the criteria for a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

This does not mean that a person who receives this diagnosis does not have a serious eating disorder; indeed, eating disorder not otherwise specified can be just as dangerous as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

A medical doctor will refer to a list of symptoms (or diagnostic criteria) to help them with making a diagnosis for EDNOS.

Here are examples of disorders that are classified as EDNOS by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), which is generally used by health professionals in the United States.

Diagnostic criteria for Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

(Adapted from DSM-IV-TR)

  1. All diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa are met, except the menstrual cycle is normal.
  2. All diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa are met, except weight is normal for height and age even after considerable weight loss.
  3. All diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa are met, but the frequency of binges is less than twice weekly and for a duration of less than 3 months.
  4. There are recurring efforts to compensate (such as self-induced vomiting) for eating only small amounts of food, but body weight is normal for height and age.
  5. Regularly chewing and spitting out large quantities of food without swallowing.
  6. Binge-eating disorder - regular episodes of binge eating, but with no recurring efforts to compensate, such as such as purging or excessive exercise.


The World Health Organisation's International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), commonly used in Europe, has an entry ‘Eating Disorder Unspecified’, along with 'Overeating associated with other psychological disturbances', 'Vomiting associated with other psychological disturbances', and 'Other eating disorders'.