Diagnostic Criteria

There is no health disorder that does not have their Diagnostic Criteria. Therefore, we would be discussing about the Diagnostic Criteria for the Eating disorders. The most commonly used diagnostic manuals for mental illnesses are two. The following are listed:

ICD (International Classification of Diseases);
DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

There is a difference between the two systems, even though both are manuals for diagnosing mental illnesses. In the UK for instance, ICD is the preferred classification system. It is the ICD-10 manual that is currently in use. The development of ICD-11 is currently underway.

ICD-10 describes the diagnostic criteria for a range of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorders. As these criteria guide the diagnosis of people with eating disorders, it is extremely critical that you are aware of them.

Anorexia Nervosa diagnostic criteria in ICD-10

All of the following are necessary for a definite diagnosis of anorexia Nervosa:

A BMI of 17.5 or less. Puberty may not cause patients to gain weight as much as expected during prepubescence.
An individual can lose weight by avoiding “fattening foods” and using one or more of the following: self-induced vomiting; self-induced purging; excessive exercise; or taking appetite suppressants and/or diuretics.
There is a distortion of body image and an extreme fear of fatness. Patients impose a low weight threshold upon themselves because of this intrusive and overvalued idea.
In women, hormonal changes can cause their periods to stop, while in men, this can result in a loss of sexual interest and potency. Growth hormone levels, thyroid hormone levels, and insulin levels can also be abnormal.
Anorexia can delay puberty or prevent it altogether if it occurs before puberty. It is common for puberty to be completed normally after recovery.

Bulimia Nervosa diagnostic criteria in ICD-10

In order to make a definite diagnosis of Bulimia Nervosa, all of the following must be present:

When excessive amounts of food are consumed within a short period of time (binge eating), it is termed overeating (binge eating).
A patient may try self-induced vomiting, abusing purgatives, starvation in alternation with eating, or taking drugs such as appetite suppressants, thyroid preparations, and diuretics to counter the “fattening” effects of food. Patients with diabetes who suffer from bulimia may neglect their insulin treatment.
There is a fear of ‘fatness’ that is extremely prevalent. A patient’s body weight threshold is set well below a weight that would be considered healthy for someone of their height.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) diagnostic criteria in ICD-10

The following three or more criteria must be present in order to diagnose BED: Eating binges must occur at least once a week on average and be accompanied by three or more of the following symptoms:

Having a rapid rate of food consumption
The act of eating until one is uncomfortably full
Despite not feeling hungry, eating large amounts of food
Eating alone due to shame or embarrassment about bingeing
A binge that leaves you feeling disgusted, depressed, or guilty

A binge is not followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g., self-induced vomiting; excessive exercise) like those associated with bulimia nervosa. It is pertinent to note that many individuals with BED routinely diet in an attempt to lose weight. There must be significant distress associated with binge eating in order for an individual to be diagnosed with BED.