At our March Mind Matters ECHO, Tom Hildebrandt, PsyD and Eve Freidl, MD discussed the case of a woman in her mid 30s who presented with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) but was told repeatedly by physicians that she couldn't have an eating disorder as she was a healthy weight.
The DSM-5 criteria for anorexia nervosa includes significantly low body weight but the diagnostic criteria for BED and bulimia nervosa do not specify body weight at all, but rather, behaviors.
The DSM-5 also includes atypical anorexia nervosa where all of the criteria for anorexia nervosa are met but, despite significant weight loss, the patient's weight is within or above normal range.
Lastly, the DSM-5 offers the diagnosis Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder for patients whose behaviors around eating cause clinically significant distress or impairment but fall short of the full criteria for the other named disorders.
Use the 5-question Eating Disorder Screen for Primary Care (ESP) to identify patients who should be assessed further for an eating disorder.
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