An Overview of NUTRITION THERAPY for Eating Disorders

Most would agree that nutrition plays a vital role in our lives and health. Individuals with eating disorders are no exception. Since concerns related to food and eating are a main component of an eating disorder, issues and goals related to nutrition become critical to the recovery process.

The primary goal of nutrition therapy is to assist in normalizing eating patterns; this includes adequately meeting the body’s nutritional needs, incorporating a wide variety of foods, increasing one’s awareness of body signals and becoming comfortable in one’s relationship with food. Other aspects of nutrition therapy include: monitoring weight and weight trends, discussing symptoms, meal planning and goal setting.

Benefits of nutrition therapy in eating disorder treatment can be seen in both the short and long term. As with other pieces of the recovery process, eating patterns will not necessarily change quickly. However, working with a registered dietitian (RD) can help support and encourage goal development, and enhance the overall treatment process. This is especially beneficial when nutrition therapy is used in conjunction with other aspects of treatment such as individual, group or family therapy.

March is National Nutrition Month.  It is a great opportunity to learn new facts about nutrition and reflect on any personal nutrition-related goals. If you are struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating, you may want to consider working with a food and nutrition expert - a registered dietitian – for individual nutrition therapy.

Visit the Nutrition Therapy page on our website to learn more about the importance of nutrition services in the treatment of eating disorders. To speak with someone from The Center for Eating Disorders about meeting with one of our Registered Dietitians, please call (410) 938-5252. 

Written by Samantha Lewandowski, MS, RD, LDN, the Center for Eating Disorders’ Outpatient Nutritional Care Coordinator