ABSTRACT
The atypical eating disorders (eating disorder not otherwise speci®ed, EDNOS) are the most common eating disorders but also the least studied. One speci®c example of EDNOS is binge eating disorder (BED), which is also included in the DSM-IV as a research category. As summarized in chapter 2, the various forms of atypical eating disorders labeled EDNOS are distributed across age and weight categories in complex and poorly understood ways. The few available clinical studies suggest that persons with EDNOS have problems that resemble those seen in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, except perhaps at different symptom levels or in different combinations (Fairburn & Harrison, 2003). This may be especially true for adolescents (Eating Disorders Commission, 2005). BED is associated with older age and with substantially increased risk of obesity and therefore the various medical issues associated with obesity (chapter 6). It seems that a core feature which cuts across these various categories of eating problems is the overevaluation of shape and weight. This feature seems present, to varying degrees, in most cases. With that context in mind, this chapter begins with an overview of the major assessment issues relevant to EDNOS and BED. The major research ®ndings about treatments will then be summarized.
