You can’t tell if someone has an eating disorder by just looking at them. Atypical anorexia may not present like “classic” anorexia, but its impacts on health and performance are just as serious. VIS Expert Jessica Silverman, PsyD, and Harvard researcher Sarah Naticchia break down the science, symptoms, and what every woman athlete needs to know.
By: Helene Usher
VIS Creator
& Jess Silverman
VIS Expert
Topic: Body
July 24 2025
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Atypical anorexia nervosa was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 in 2013. But many people have never heard of it.
Atypical anorexia has serious health and performance consequences for women athletes. We talked to VIS Expert Jess Silverman, PsyD, and Harvard neuroscience student Sarah Naticchia about what atypical anorexia is and its implications for women and girls in sport.
What is Atypical Anorexia?
Atypical anorexia is...