People who have UFED exhibit the symptoms of eating disorders, but don’t meet the full criteria for a diagnosis. For instance, a client’s disordered behaviors and thoughts aren’t enough to justify diagnosing a specific eating disorder, however, their eating habits cause significant distress and can impair how they function in social, work, and other situations.
Doctors typically use UFED when there’s insufficient evidence to justify a specific diagnosis. After they have more time to determine the cause of the symptoms, the UFED diagnosis could change. The diagnosis could also change if a client’s symptoms change.