Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED)
1/2
Nearly half of those with OSFED had past incidents of self-harm.
2x
Eating disorders increase the risk of early death. People with OSFED have nearly double the risk compared to those without eating disorders.
93%
One study found that 93% of those with eating disorders also had at least one functional gastrointestinal disorder.
What is OSFED?
OSFED is a clinical category for eating disorder symptoms that do not meet all diagnostic criteria for another eating disorder. With OSFED, eating disorder symptoms cause a significant amount of distress or affect a person’s ability to function.
OSFED examples include:
Atypical anorexia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa (low frequency and/or limited duration)
Binge eating disorder (low frequency and/or limited duration)
Purging disorder
Night eating syndrome
Is it OSFED?
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SYMPTOMS
All OSFED resourcesOSFED symptoms vary from person to person.
Symptoms can include:
Purging through self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretic abuse
Excessive exercise
Loss-of-control eating behaviors like night eating/nocturnal eating
Eating past fullness; impulsive eating
Restricting calories; frequent dieting
Rituals associated with food and/or eating
Intense shame or anxiety related to food, eating or body image
Compulsive food behaviors like hiding food, hoarding food or eating food out of the garbage
OSFED can harm your health
Serious health risks associated with OSFED include:
Tooth decay related to purging
Lanugo hair growth from food restriction
Cheek and face swelling from purging
Organ failure
Osteoporosis
Muscle loss and weakness
Fatigue
Electrolyte and chemical imbalances
Irregular bowel movements/constipation
High blood pressure
High cholesterol levels
Heart disease
Type II diabetes mellitus and/or gallbladder disease
The health complications related to OSFED can be life-threatening. Suicide can also be a risk.
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OSFED treatment
At Eating Recovery Center, we recognize that each person is unique. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment.
To recover from an eating disorder, we recommend a full course of treatment that includes:
Medical and psychiatric stabilization
Interruption of harmful eating disorder behaviors
Individual, group & family therapy
Nutritional counseling and education
Aftercare support
nationwide care
Nutrition counseling and education
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How ERC can Help
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More people have found recovery from eating disorders with us than any other eating disorder treatment center.
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Over 400 full-time healthcare professionals provide compassionate care in psychiatry, child psychiatry, pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, addiction psychiatry, clinical psychology and more.
The nation’s most robust family support ecosystem
Take advantage of educational opportunities, support groups and live Q&As with our clinical experts.
Healing isn’t just possible. It happens here every day
I felt safe and comfortable! My team was amazing! Rachel and Kim were amazing! And the program works!
Very good supportive staff and peer group
Quality treatment, helped me feel at home in recovery
I think that there should be more focus on the parent/child relationship and learning together. Not each doing the process separately.
ERC is very knowledgeable, professional and offers individualized treatment.
A helpful experience that put me back on track.
ERC Denver
They have the most caring staff that really want to help you to get well. The program is amazing.
The best treatment center I’ve ever been to.
Everyone is nice and treated my daughter nice. She liked Jacie, Polina and Dr Taylor.
People are really great
This was by far the best treatment center I've been to, and actually worked
Felt like I had a community I could rely on for solace, advice, and empathy even though I was in outpatient throughout my recovery.
Everyone was so knowledgeable and helpful. They gave me the confidence to move in the right direction
A wonderful program that meets you where you’re at and is so very, welcoming, supportive and knowledgeable.
I felt safe and comfortable! My team was amazing! Rachel and Kim were amazing! And the program works!
Very good supportive staff and peer group
Quality treatment, helped me feel at home in recovery
I think that there should be more focus on the parent/child relationship and learning together. Not each doing the process separately.
ERC is very knowledgeable, professional and offers individualized treatment.
A helpful experience that put me back on track.
They have the most caring staff that really want to help you to get well. The program is amazing.
The best treatment center I’ve ever been to.
Everyone is nice and treated my daughter nice. She liked Jacie, Polina and Dr Taylor.
People are really great
This was by far the best treatment center I've been to, and actually worked
Felt like I had a community I could rely on for solace, advice, and empathy even though I was in outpatient throughout my recovery.
Everyone was so knowledgeable and helpful. They gave me the confidence to move in the right direction
A wonderful program that meets you where you’re at and is so very, welcoming, supportive and knowledgeable.
OSFED FAQs
Have a question we didn't answer? Contact us
To diagnose OSFED, a trained eating disorder treatment professional reviews a person’s symptoms, thoughts and behaviors (bingeing, purging and restricting) and compares them to the diagnostic criteria to see if the person’s symptoms fit an OSFED diagnosis.
One study found that 1.18% of females and 0.27% of males in the U.S. had OSFED in the past year, primarily in those aged 20-29. OSFED is also the most common eating disorder in the U.S., with a lifetime prevalence of 3.82% of females and 1.61% in males. [STRIPED, 2020]
OSFED is associated with an increased risk of death. From 2018-2019, more deaths related to eating disorders were associated with OSFED than any other eating disorder, accounting for 33% of 10,200 deaths. [STRIPED, 2020]
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References
1. Arcelus J, Mitchell AJ, Wales J, Nielsen S. Mortality Rates in Patients With Anorexia Nervosa and Other Eating Disorders: A Meta-analysis of 36 Studies. Arch GenPsychiatry. 2011;68(7):724–731.
2. Hambleton, A., Pepin, G., Le, A. et al. Psychiatric and medical comorbidities of eating disorders: findings from a rapid review of the literature. J Eat Disord 10, 132 (2022).
3. Olatunji BO, Cox R, Ebesutani C, Wall D. Self-harm history predicts resistance to inpatient treatment of body shape aversion in women with eating disorders: The role of negative affect. J Psychiatr Res. 2015 Jun;65:37-46.
4. Abraham S, Kellow J. Exploring eating disorder quality of life and functional gastrointestinal disorders among eating disorder patients. J Psychosom Res. 2011 Apr;70(4):372-7.
5. Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED), The Academy of Eating Disorders and Deloitte Access Economics (2020). The Social and Economic Cost of Eating Disorders in the United States of America: A Report for the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders and the Academy for Eating Disorders. Published June 2020. Accessed November 21, 2025.