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Treatment Options - Nutrition Therapy
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Nutrition Counseling in the Treatment of Eating Disorders
Nutrition counseling is an essential component of the treatment for eating disorders. Many patients feel they are already knowledgeable about good nutrition and weight management. However, this is usually not the case due to the great amount of inaccurate nutrition information found in books, magazines, diet programs, and on television and the internet.
During nutrition counseling sessions, patients will learn about the basics of good nutrition, principles of weight management and the dangers of eating disorder behaviors. Also, the nutritionist and patient will work together to set realistic goals that will gradually bring the patient back to healthy eating and eliminate any eating disorder behaviors. If the patient is below his/her healthy weight, the nutritionist will help the patient gradually gain.
For children and teens, family support can be key in aiding the patient to meet the planned goals. Therefore, parents or guardians will usually be asked to attend a portion of each nutrition counseling session to determine what kind of assistance will be helpful.
For patients of size who may be struggling with compulsive eating, the nondiet approach to weight management focuses on empowering the individual to make decisions about eating based on physical cues of hunger, fullness, and sense of well-being, as well as taste, allowing the body to seek its natural weight.
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