Depends on the degree to which the
individual’s health is impaired. People with anorexia
or bulimia may need to be hospitalized or attend
structured day programs for an extended period.
Some people are helped with antidepressant medication,
but the mainstay of treatment is psychotherapy.
An appropriate therapy is selected based on the type of
eating disorder and the individual’s psychological profile.
Some of the common therapies used in treating
eating disorders include:
-Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is designed to
confront and then change the individual’s thoughts
and feelings about his or her body and behaviors
toward food, but it does not address why those
thoughts or feelings exist. Strategies to maintain
self-control may be explored. This therapy is relatively
short-term. CBT is often the therapy of choice
for people with eating disorders.
-Psychodynamic therapy, also called psychoanalytic
therapy, attempts to help the individual gain insight
into the cause of the emotions that trigger their dysfunctional
behavior. This therapy tends to be more
long term than CBT.
-Interpersonal therapy is short-term therapy that
helps the individual identify specific issues and problems
in relationships. The individual may be asked to
look back at his or her family history to try to recognize
problem areas or stresses and work toward
resolving them.
-Dialectical behavior therapy consists of structured
private and group sessions in which the therapist
and patient(s) work at reducing behaviors that interfere
with quality of life, finding alternate solutions to
current problem situations, and learning to regulate
emotions.
-Family and couples therapy is helpful in dealing with
conflict or disorder that may be a factor in perpetuating
the eating disorder. Family therapy is especially
useful in helping parents who are anorectics avoid
passing on their attitudes and behaviors on to their
children.
Nutrition/Dietetic concerns
Eating disorders result in abnormal nutrition that
can have life-threatening consequences. A nutritionist
or dietitian who can provide nutritional counseling
and healthy meal planning is an essential part of the
treatment team for any eating disorder. However,
nutritional counseling alone will not resolve an eating
disorder.
Nutrition/Dietetic concerns
Eating disorders result in abnormal nutrition that
can have life-threatening consequences. A nutritionist
or dietitian who can provide nutritional counseling
and healthy meal planning is an essential part of the
treatment team for any eating disorder. However,
nutritional counseling alone will not resolve an eating
disorder.
Prognosis
Recovery from eating disorders can be along, difficult
process interrupted by relapses. About half of all
anorectics recover. Up to 20% die of complications of
the disorder. The recovery rate for people with bulimia
is slightly higher. Binge eaters experience many relapses
and may have trouble controlling their weight even
if they stop bingeing. Not enough is known about the other eating disorders to determine recovery rates. All
eating disorders have serious social and emotional
consequences. All except rumination disorder have
serious health consequences. The sooner a person
with an eating disorder gets professional help, the
better the chance of recovery.
Prevention
Prevention involves both preventing and relieving
stresses and enlisting professional help as soon as
abnormal eating patterns develop. Some things that
may help prevent an eating disorder from developing
are listed below:
-Parent should not obsess about their weight, appearance,
and diet in front of their children.
-Parents should not put their child on a diet unless
instructed to by a pediatrician.
-Do not tease people about their body shapes or
compare them to others.
-Make it clear that family members are loved and
accepted as they are.
-Try to eat meals together as a family whenever possible;
avoid eating alone.
-Avoid using food for comfort in times of stress.
-Monitoring negative self-talk; practice positive selftalk
-Spend time doing something enjoyable every day
-Stay busy, but not overly busy; get enough sleep
every night
-Become aware of the situations that are personal
triggers for abnormal eating behaviors and look for
ways to avoid or defuse them.
-Do not go on extreme diets.
-Be alert to signs of low self-worth, anxiety, depression,
and drug or alcohol abuse and seek help as soon
as these signs appear.
