Eating disorders don't always look the same from person to person. Some people experience significant challenges with eating, exercise, body image or weight concerns, but their symptoms don't meet the exact criteria for eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. In these cases, patients may be diagnosed with a condition known as other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED).

A person with OSFED may restrict food intake without being underweight, engage in binge eating episodes less frequently than required for another diagnosis, or use other unhealthy behaviors that don't fit neatly into a specific eating disorder category.

OSFED is not a “less serious” eating disorder. In fact, it's the most common eating disorder diagnosis among adolescents and adults. It can affect anyone and is not isolated to any specific age range or gender. Its impact on emotional, physical and mental health can be just as severe as with other eating disorder diagnoses, and treatment is often needed to support lasting recovery.

At Melrose Center, you'll receive personalized care from a team of eating disorder specialists. Licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians and registered dietitians work together to create a treatment plan that supports OSFED recovery and helps you build a healthier relationship with food, your body and yourself.

Getting an accurate diagnosis is an important first step toward recovery. At Melrose Center, the process begins with a comprehensive assessment. During this appointment, an eating disorder specialist will talk with you or your loved one about eating habits, thoughts and behaviors related to food and body image, and any symptoms or concerns you may be experiencing.

We may also recommend a physical exam or other testing to better understand how eating disorder behaviors may be affecting your overall health. This can help identify concerns, such as weight changes, growth delays or nutritional deficiencies.

If you or a loved one is diagnosed with OSFED or another eating disorder, you'll meet with one of our care managers. They'll explain your treatment recommendations, answer your questions and help schedule the next steps in your care so you can start working toward recovery.

Nearly everyone diagnosed with OSFED begins their recovery in outpatient treatment. With this level of care, you'll continue living at home while meeting regularly with members of your treatment team, which may include an eating disorder therapist, dietitian, medical expert and psychiatrist.

The number and type of appointments will depend on what you or your child need, and may change as you move through recovery. In most cases, you'll have choice of in-person or virtual appointments for eating disorders, or a combination of both.

For people who need more support throughout the day, Melrose Center offers residential treatment in a structured, healing environment.

During residential treatment for eating disorders, you'll stay at our St. Louis Park location with a daily schedule that may include individual therapy, nutrition counseling, group programming, guided meals, family therapy and other therapeutic activities.

Residential treatment is often recommended for individuals whose symptoms require more support than outpatient care can provide and who would benefit from focusing fully on recovery.

People with OSFED may experience symptoms similar to anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder, but those symptoms may look different or occur less frequently. As a result, the signs can be easy to miss.

If you're concerned about yourself or a loved one, watch for changes in eating habits, weight, physical health or emotional well-being. Signs of OSFED may include:

• Significant weight loss or weight gain
• Negative thoughts about body weight, shape or size
• Changes in eating habits, such as skipping meals, avoiding certain foods, binge eating or developing rigid food rules
• Purging behaviors, including self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise or misuse of laxatives
• Withdrawing from friends, family or social activities
• Physical symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, thinning hair or other signs of poor nutrition

• Atypical anorexia nervosa –Significant food restriction and weight loss without meeting the low-weight criteria for anorexia nervosa.
• Bulimia nervosa of low frequency and/or limited duration –Binge eating and purging behaviors that occur less often than required for a bulimia diagnosis.
• Binge eating disorder of low frequency and/or limited duration – Binge eating episodes that don't occur frequently enough for a binge eating disorder diagnosis.
• Purging disorder – Purging behaviors, such as vomiting or excessive exercise, without binge eating.
• Night eating syndrome – Repeated episodes of eating during the night, often accompanied by difficulty controlling the behavior.