Subthreshold Eating Disorders
Subthreshold Eating Disorders (STEDs) are a group of conditions that share some similarities with diagnosable eating disorders but fall short of meeting a full diagnosis. Also known as Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS), STEDs cause significant distress, disruption, and dysfunction in an individual’s life and may lead to more severe symptoms. STEDs have a range of presentations, including restrictive eating, binge eating, purging, and body checking; however, these behaviors are typically less extreme than those seen in clinical eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Despite presenting with lower severity than clinical eating disorders, STEDs can still lead to significant medical and psychological complications and often require treatment. Early screening, recognition, and intervention are essential to reduce the risk of medical and psychological complications and improve outcomes. Treatment may include individual, group, and family therapy, as well as medical care and nutritional counseling.
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