How Do Dietitians Help with Eating Disorders?

Contributor: Staff at Carolina House

Receiving treatment for an eating disorder is not as simple as getting a prescription medication from a doctor. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED), and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) are complex mental health conditions that require the use of evidence-based therapeutic interventions to treat.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), eating disorders will affect 9% of the United States population, or 28.8 million Americans, in their lifetime [1]. What’s more, 10,200 people die each year as a result of their struggles with an eating disorder. This means that one eating disorder-related death occurs every 52 minutes in the U.S. [2].

One study found that since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, symptoms have worsened in people who struggle with eating disorders [3].

While the long-term impact of COVID-19 on those who have eating disorders is yet to be determined, it is important to provide them with the necessary support to learn healthier, more effective ways to protect their overall well-being. One way to do this is by establishing the unique role dietitians play in supporting individuals who seek care for eating disorders.

So, what exactly do dietitians do?

What Dietitians Do

While getting treatment for an eating disorder is unique for everyone, people tend to overlook the importance of nutrition education and healthy meal planning. This is where dietitians come into play.

Simply put, dietitians are specialized professionals who are qualified to advise others about nutrition. They support a person’s recovery and help them develop a healthier relationship with food [4].

Dietitians undergo extensive training to properly assess and treat eating disorders in a number of ways:

• Identifying a person’s food rituals and eating behaviors

• Explaining how our bodies use food as a source of fuel to effectively carry out day-to-day activities

• Helping people realize that no type of food, whether it’s a carbohydrate, fat, or sugar, is bad

• Designing a structured meal plan so that patients can learn how to balance their food intake

• Reviewing their patients’ food intake by examining their weight, vitals, and changes in their relationships with food

Dietitians work to dismiss common misconceptions surrounding food that an individual may have learned online or from other sources about diet and nutrition. They also advise patients about the negative impact restrictive dieting, bingeing, and purging behaviors can have on their oral health. Data shows that individuals who have an eating disorder are five times more likely to have tooth erosion and overall higher decay, regardless of eating disorder subtype [5].

These measures are critical for people who are struggling with an eating disorder to understand the consequences of disordered eating, gain insight into their behaviors, and develop a better relationship with food.

Collaborating with Other Care Specialists

Dietitians play a major role in providing care as part of a multidisciplinary team. They often work alongside mental health professionals, therapists, doctors, and nurses to provide services for people who are suffering from eating disorders.

When they collaborate with other healthcare professionals, dietitians share in decision-making about a person’s care to help them achieve the best health outcomes. These experts also work with other healthcare professionals to treat co-occurring conditions, including diabetes, autoimmune disease, and heart disease, by providing personalized information for each patient [6].

Dietitians recognize that the responsibilities of members of a care team can differ based on the unique needs and treatment goals of each patient, so they work together with the rest of the care team in an atmosphere of dignity and respect to promote long-term healing.

Professionals on a treatment team collaborate to provide people with evidence-based care to help them achieve recovery from a variety of eating disorders. While other healthcare professionals, such as psychiatrists and doctors, provide counseling and develop treatment plans, dietitians help patients develop meal planning skills and more effective coping strategies to deal with triggers surrounding food [6].

It is beneficial for patients to understand the role of a dietitian when considering professional help for an eating disorder. With the right treatment and support, a person can take ownership of their healing journey and find recovery from an eating disorder.

References

[1] National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. (2022, March 9). Eating disorder statistics: General & Diversity stats. Retrieved from https://anad.org/eating-disorders-statistics/.

[2] Deloitte Access Economics. (2022, June). The social and economic cost of eating disorders in the United States of America: A report for the strategic training initiative for the prevention of eating disorders and the Academy for Eating Disorders. Retrieved from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders/.

[3] Sideli, L., Lo Coco, G., Bonfanti, R.C., Borsarini, B., Fortunato, L., Sechi, C., & Micali, N. (2021). Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on eating disorders and obesity: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of the Eating Disorders Association, 29(6), 826–841. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2861.

[4] Yaffa, S., Adi, E-L., Itai, P. (2021). Treatment of eating disorders in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case series. Journal of Eating Disorders. 9, 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-021-00374-z.

[5] Patterson-Norrie, T., Ramjan, L., Sousa, M.S. (2020). Eating disorders and oral health: A scoping review on the role of dietitians. Journal of Eating Disorders. 8, 49. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00325-0.

[6] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, April 18). Dietitians and nutritionists: Occupational outlook handbook. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Dietitians-and-nutritionists.htm#tab-2.

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About Carolina House 

Carolina House is an eating disorder treatment center that serves people aged 17 and older of all genders.

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The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope but an effort to offer a discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Published on March 29, 2024. Published on EatingDisorderHope.com
Reviewed & Approved on  March 29, 2024