Eating Disorders
- How much weight gain should be expected and in what time period by a resident admitted with anorexia nervosa?
- What can I do to support my family member during a time of weight gain?
- Are there any physical complications of the eating disorder that need to be treated?
How much weight gain should be expected and in what time period by a resident admitted with anorexia nervosa?
This will depend on the severity of the resident's eating disorder. She will have an individualized plan for refeeding and weight restoration based on physical status and nutritional evaluation. General goals for weight gain in acute anorexia are two to three pounds per week up to the resident's goal weight.
What can I do to support my family member during a time of weight gain?
Support is an essential element in the treatment of anorexia, and can be especially difficult to convey during a weight gain. A first step is to understand how your family member is experiencing this process. Eating disorders alter logical ways of thinking about food and weight; they distort what is seen in the mirror. And they create irrational expectations about the consequences of eating and not eating.
Your family member uses a lens through which to see herself and all food-related things; this is imposed by the eating disorder. All the thought processes that emerge through this lens are "cognitive distortions." Your family member's therapist will help you identify these "cognitive distortions." This understanding provides the foundation for your effective response.
A second step is to separate the eating disorder from who you know your family member to be when healthy. When talking with your family member, identify her healthy thoughts, feelings or actions as well as those observed when the eating disorder is talking. Your active role in the treatment will help her combat the powerful and persistent distortions of the eating disorder. And, you can attend weekly multi-family groups, family meal support training, as well as get support for yourself as a member of a family in crisis to better help your family member during this difficult time.
Source: Adapted from National Eating Disorder Association
www.nationaleatingdisorder.org, 800.931.2237.
Are there any physical complications of the eating disorder that need to be treated?
Many people with eating disorders have physical complications by the time they seek residential treatment. Your family member will receive indicated medical testing, treatment and follow-up care for such conditions as reflux disease, esophagitis, dental care, osteopenia/osteoporosis and gynecologic care. If she has signs or symptoms of medical conditions requiring 24-hour monitoring (e.g., cardiac complications), transfer will be made to an appropriate inpatient setting.