---
title: "Treatment for Eating Disorders"
slug: "treatment-for-eating-disorders"
updated: 2025-10-14T18:33:21Z
published: 2025-10-14T18:33:21Z
canonical: "healthhub.cpcmg.net/treatment-for-eating-disorders"
---

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# Treatment for Eating Disorders

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Treatment for eating disorders usually require a multidisciplinary approach and consistent follow ups to ensure patient continues on their path towards health. If overall symptoms are mild, this may be done with regular follow ups with your child’s primary care clinician

**Medical Stabilization**

First and foremost, ensuring the patient’s safety is the most vital step. As discussed in “Medical Consequences of Eating Disorders,” eating disorders can lead to variety of serious medical conditions including electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, heart rhythm abnormalities, congestive heart failure, and organ damage. Given this, the clinician’s initial priority will be to ensure that the patient is medically stable to continue outpatient treatment. If their vital signs, exam, lab findings, and/or electrocardiography (ECG) indicate instability or rapid deterioration, hospitalization may be required. Even if the patient is deemed stable enough for outpatient treatment, close follow up of weight, blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, exam findings, and labs will be necessary, even every few days, until steady improvement is observed. Exercise may be limited in the beginning until the patient’s weight starts to increase at a steady rate.

**Nutritional Rehabilitation**

The goal weight gain will vary depending on the patient’s interval weight loss, age, height, and pubertal state but will typically range from 0.25 kg to 1 kg (0.5 to 2 lb) per week for most patients. Generally, weight gain should continue until the patient’s period resumes female patients who used to have periods. Total recommended daily caloric intake will usually range from 2000 to 3000 kcal/day for most to achieve this goal. Increasing caloric density of food and decreasing calorie-rich beverages such as juice, sports drink, and sodas is encouraged. Gradual reintroduction of meals and snacks in a stepwise fashion is advised with goal of 3 meals and several snacks per day. Initially, families will be advised to be in charge of plating meals and monitoring that patient is completing the entire meal. Multivitamins including iron, calcium, and vitamin D is recommended for most patients. Working with a dietician experienced in eating disorders is strongly advised to ensure that they are achieving adequate nutritional goals.

In patients with ARFID, severe cases may require admission to start tube feeding to ensure that adequate nutrition is achieved.

**Behavior Therapy/Family Therapy**

An eating disorder can affect not only the patient but their entire family in regards to attitudes toward weight/physical appearance, eating/meals, exercise, as well as the patient’s ability to participate in school and extracurricular activities. Given this, it is important for families to be included in the patient’s care and often need to take active roles to ensure the patient’s safety and recovery. Often caregivers are asked to plate and supervise eating, ensure patients participate in behavioral therapy, and coordinate support systems within the school setting (ex. supervised lunch and trips to restrooms). Working with a counselor or therapist with experience in eating disorder is strongly recommended to address the disordered thinking and feelings towards food observed in eating disorder patients.

**Treatment of Concurrent Anxiety and/or Depression**

Patients with an eating disorder often suffer from co-existing depression and/or anxiety that may be trigger or worsen their eating disorders. Therefore, it is important to address these conditions along with their eating disorders to ensure the best possible outcome. The clinician may screen them for these conditions and make appropriate recommendations for treatment if needed including psychotherapy and in some cases, medications.

## 📚 Article Information

Reviewed by PL MD Behavioral Health Committee, JW MD Patient Education Committee.