Treatments for Anorexia Nervosa - Diet and Nutrition

Treatments for Anorexia Nervosa

Treatment for anorexia typically involves reducing patients' fears of a normal body weight by encouraging them to gradually regain their natural body weight. Group support and medication play an important role in subsequently reducing their anxiety about eating. Some nutrient supplements and nasogastric or intravenous feeding also have proven successful. Nutritional supplements alone are usually insufficient, however, because the underlying psychological causes must be treated as well.

The diet for an anorexic prescribed by a physician should reflect nutrient needs and identify energy allowances that take into account the degree of starvation. For these patients, relatively small, gradual increases are usually made in caloric level of the diet during treatment. It is very important, however, that meal plans always consider individual needs.