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Updated: Jun 5, 2026

A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
Published on: May 10, 2022
Empirical support for a reclassification of eating disorders NOS
J L Helverskov1, B Lyng, L Clausen
1Eating Disorder Centre, Regional Centre of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark. jannhelv@rm.dk
Objective:
To explore the empirical support for a reclassification of the eating disorders NOS (EDNOS) category.
Methods:
In a cross-sectional design eight specific subgroups of EDNOS were compared to anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) on interview-based data and questionnaire measures. The sample consisted of 965 patients in the age 13-54 years admitted to treatment for an eating disorder.
Results:
According to the DSM-IV 176(18%) presented with AN, 290(30%) with BN and 499(52%) with EDNOS. Of all EDNOS cases 34% could be reclassified as AN or BN. Three specific subgroups emerged as separate diagnostic entities. A heterogeneous subgroup of 122 patients (13% of all) was proposed as 'true' EDNOS. Implications of the results on the DSM-V are discussed.
Conclusions:
The results support a broader definition of AN and BN and suggest subgroups of EDNOS as separate diagnostic entities. This results in a substantial reduction of the heterogeneous EDNOS group.
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