The American Psychiatric Association has released a draft of their proposed changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the standard used in the United States for diagnosing mental illness, including eating disorders.
The proposed changes for the forthcoming version (DSM-V) include the recognition of Binge Eating Disorder as a unique diagnosis. In the current edition (DSM-IV-TR), Binge Eating Disorder is included as a Criteria Set for Further Study in the Appendix of the manual and is not given its own diagnosis, but is rather included under the broader catch-all category of "Eating Disorder: Not otherwise specified"
Proposed changes to the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa include the omission of the criteria of amenorrhea and the omission of the word "refusal" with regard to maintaining a normal weight, as the term can be potentially pejorative.
Proposed changes to the diagnostic criteria for Bulimia Nervosa include reducing the required minimum frequency of binge episodes from at least twice per week to a minimum of once per week.
The diagnostic category of Eating Disorder, not otherwise specified would still be included in the updated version of the DSM, with updated descriptions.
In addition, it has been proposed that the diagnostic category "Eating Disorders" be changed to "Eating and Feeding Disorders" so that Feeding Disorders such as Pica and Rumination Disorder and the more commonly known eating disorders be included in the same diagnostic category (see Treatment Notes dated 02-04-10 for a discussion of Feeding Disorders).
For a more complete discussion of the proposed changes to the DSM with regard to eating disorders, visit this link: http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/EatingDisorders.aspx
Visitors to the site may register and leave their comment regarding the proposed changes to diagnostic criteria.
