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  5. Eating disorders (F50)

Eating disorders (F50)

The ICD-10 code section F50 is used to classify various eating disorders, covering conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other specified or unspecified eating disorders.

This section provides detailed codes for different types and severities of eating disorders. For example, F50.0 codes denote anorexia nervosa, including restricting and binge eating/purging types, with further subdivisions by severity or remission status. The synonyms for anorexia nervosa highlight terms like "prepubertal anorexia nervosa" and "anorexia nervosa in remission," assisting coders who encounter these phrases. Bulimia nervosa is coded within F50.2, addressing both purging and nonpurging behaviors, with synonyms such as "self-induced purging to lose weight" guiding accurate coding. Binge eating disorder is captured under F50.81, while F50.82 codes avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, also known as "psychogenic loss of appetite." Other specified eating disorders, including pica and rumination disorder, fall under F50.8 with associated synonyms like "craving for non-food item" and "orthorexia nervosa." For non-specific cases or remission states, codes F50.9 and F50.00 provide catch-alls labeled eating disorders unspecified.

Understanding these codes helps medical professionals and coders accurately document diagnoses related to eating disorders, supporting proper treatment tracking and reporting through the ICD-10 coding system.

Instructional Notations

Type 1 Excludes

A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.

  • anorexia NOS R63.0
  • feeding problems of newborn P92
  • polyphagia R63.2

Type 2 Excludes

A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.

  • feeding difficulties R63.3
  • feeding disorder in infancy or childhood F98.2

Clinical Terms

The following clinical terms provide additional context, helping users better understand the clinical background and common associations for each diagnosis listed in this section. Including related terms alongside ICD-10-CM codes supports coders, billers, and healthcare professionals in improving accuracy, enhancing documentation, and facilitating research or patient education.

Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder that is characterized by the lack or loss of APPETITE, known as ANOREXIA. Other features include excess fear of becoming OVERWEIGHT; BODY IMAGE disturbance; significant WEIGHT LOSS; refusal to maintain minimal normal weight; and AMENORRHEA. This disorder occurs most frequently in adolescent females. (APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 1994)

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

An eating or feeding disturbance (e.g., apparent lack of interest in eating or food; avoidance based on the sensory characteristics of food; concern about aversive consequences of eating) as manifested by persistent failure to meet appropriate nutritional and/or energy needs associated with one (or more) of the following: significant weight loss (or failure to achieve expected weight gain or faltering growth in children); significant nutritional deficiency; dependence on enteral feeding or oral nutritional supplements; or marked interference with psychosocial functioning. (from DSM-V)

Bulimia Nervosa

An eating disorder that is characterized by a cycle of binge eating (BULIMIA or bingeing) followed by inappropriate acts (purging) to avert weight gain. Purging methods often include self-induced VOMITING, use of LAXATIVES or DIURETICS, excessive exercise, and FASTING.

Orthorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder that is characterized by the pathological obsession with HEALTHY EATING.