100+ Common Eating Disorder Acronyms, Abbreviations and Terms

Published:

While learning about eating disorders, you’ve probably come across many eating disorder abbreviations. Some might be familiar to you, but others could leave you scratching your head.

To help make things simpler, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of more than 100 commonly used eating disorder acronyms and abbreviations.

Common Eating Disorder (ED) Terms

ARFID, AN, and BED are just a few of the many terms used to describe eating disorders. Here’s what these abbreviations mean. We've also linked out to helpful pages where you can learn more.

AAN: Atypical Anorexia Nervosa 
ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy 
ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder 
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 
AED: Academy for Eating Disorders 
AN: Anorexia Nervosa 
AN-BP: Anorexia Nervosa - Binge Eating/Purging Type 
AN-R: Anorexia Nervosa - Restricting Type 
APA: American Psychiatric Association (also American Pediatric Association) 
ARFID: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder 
ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorders 
BDD: Body Dysmorphic Disorder 
BED: Binge Eating Disorder 
BIPOC: Black, Indigenous and People of Color 
BMI: Body Mass Index 
BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate 
BN: Bulimia Nervosa 
BPD: Borderline Personality Disorder 
BSFT: Behavioral Systems Family Therapy 
CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 
CBT-A: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa 
CBT-B: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Bulimia Nervosa 
CBT-E: Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 
CHSP: Chew and Spit 
CPT: Cognitive Processing Therapy 
CRT: Cognitive Remediation Therapy 
DBT: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy 
DX: Diagnosis 
EBW: Expected Body Weight 
ED: Eating Disorder 
EDNOS: Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (from DSM IV and no longer used) 
EDO: Eating Disorder 
EFFT: Emotion-Focused Family Therapy 
EPO: Exclusive Provider Organization 
ERC: Eating Recovery Center 
ERP: Exposure and Response Prevention 
FBT: Family-Based Treatment (for children and adolescents) 
FBT-AN: Family-Based Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa 
FBT-BN: Family-Based Therapy for Bulimia Nervosa 
FCT: Family Centered Treatment 
GAD: Generalized Anxiety Disorder 
GW: Goal Weight 
HLOC: Higher Level of Care 
HMO: Health Maintenance Organization 
IAEDP: International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals 
IBW: Ideal Body Weight 
IP: Inpatient Treatment 
IOP: Intensive Outpatient Treatment 
IT: Interpersonal Therapy 
ITU: Intensive Treatment Unit 
LGBTQIA+: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual 
LOC: Level of Care 
MC: Milieu Coordinator 
MET: Motivational Enhancement Therapy 
MSW: Minimum Safe Weight 
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness 
NEDA: National Eating Disorder Association 
NES: Night Eating Syndrome 
NG: Nasogastric (Tube Feeding) 
NSSI: Non-Suicidal Self-Injury 
OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 
OSFED: Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders 
OTC: Over the Counter (Medications) 
PHP: Partial Hospitalization Program 
PMDD: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder 
PPO: Preferred Provider Organizations 
PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorde
RTC: Residential Treatment  
RAC: Recovery Ambassador Council 
RO DBT: Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy 
SH: Self-Harm 
SI: Self-Injury 
SIB: Self Injurious Behavior 
SSRI: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor 
TMS: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation 
TW: Target Weight 
VIOP: Virtual Intensive Outpatient Treatment

Acronyms for eating disorder professionals (LCSW, CEDS and more)

When you review the names of eating disorders and mental health professionals, you’ll sometimes see multiple sets of letters after their names. Those letters represent advanced credentials that each professional has earned in their fields of study.

Here’s what many of the most common professional acronyms mean:

ABPP: American Board of Professional Psychology 
ATR: Art Therapist Registered 
CD: Certified Dietitian 
CDN: Certified Dietitian Nutritionist 
CEDS: Certified Eating Disorders Specialist 
CEDS-C: Certified Eating Disorders Specialist - Consultant 
DFAACAP: Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 
DFAPA: Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association 
DNP: Doctor of Nursing Practice 
Dr.: Doctor 
DO: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine 
Ed.D.: Doctor of Education 
FAAP: Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics 
FACP: Fellow of the American College of Physicians 
FAND: Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 
FAED: Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders 
F.iaedp: Fellow of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals 
FIPA: Fellow of the International Psychoanalytic Association 
FSAM: Fellow of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 
FSAHM: Fellow of the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine 
FSAHM: Fellow of the Society of Adolescent and Mental Health and Medicine. 
LCP: Licensed Clinical Psychologist 
LCPC: Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor 
LCSW: Licensed Certified Social Worker; Licensed Clinical Social Worker 
LCSW-C: Licensed Certified Social Worker - Clinical  
LD: Licensed Dietitian 
LDN: Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist 
LMHC: Licensed Mental Health Counselor 
LMFT: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist 
LMSW: Licensed Master Social Worker 
LN: Licensed Nutritionist 
LPC: Licensed Professional Counselor 
LPC-S: Licensed Professional Counselor - Supervisor 
MA: Master of Arts 
MBA: Master of Business Administration 
MCN: Master of Clinical Nutrition 
MD: Doctor of Medicine 
MS: Master of Science 
MSN: Master of Science in Nursing 
MSW: Master of Social Work 
NCC: National Certified Counselor 
NPP: Nurse Practitioner in Psychiatry 
PCA: Patient Care Assistant 
PhD: Doctor of Philosophy 
PNP: Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner 
PsyD: Doctor of Psychology 
RCC: Registered Clinical Counselor 
RD: Registered Dietitian 
RDN: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

The field of eating disorders is constantly evolving. Bookmark this page for easy reference and check back periodically for updates.

Connect with the right support at the right time

The more you learn about eating disorders, the closer you are toward making a potential first step toward healing. If you or someone you love lives with an eating disorder, nationally recognized experts are closer than you think.

At Eating Recovery Center (ERC), we believe every person deserves healing. With 35 locations across the country and virtual treatment through Eating Recovery at Home, we will walk side-by-side with you from your initial assessment all the way through to aftercare.

Here, you’ll find leaders in adult, child and adolescent psychiatry, medicine, therapy and nutrition. We’ll listen to your story, meet you where you are, and match you with a level of support that meets your needs.

If you’re ready to talk with someone today, call us at (866) 622-5914 or schedule a free assessment.

Related Resources

Eating Recovery Center is accredited through the Joint Commission. This organization seeks to enhance the lives of the persons served in healthcare settings through a consultative accreditation process emphasizing quality, value and optimal outcomes of services.

Organizations that earn the Gold Seal of Approval™ have met or exceeded The Joint Commission’s rigorous performance standards to obtain this distinctive and internationally recognized accreditation. Learn more about this accreditation here.

joint commission gold seal