Eating disorders (EDs) can occur across a spectrum of severity, and at their worst represent the second deadliest psychiatric condition. Whether or not you or a loved one has an ED that is currently life-threatening, help is available and can make a vital difference, while improving quality of life over time. Because these disorders can often be complex and multifaceted, a full treatment team is almost always recommended. In this post, we'll be focusing on the role of the registered dietitian in eating disorder treatment.
What is a dietitian?
A dietitian, also referred to as a registered dietitian or registered dietitian nutritionist, is a healthcare provider trained to focus on improving health through nutrition. Visit our earlier post, What is a Registered Dietitian, to learn more about what this credential means, and how to find the right provider for you.
How does a dietitian support eating disorder recovery?
For eating disorder treatment, having a full treatment team is important. Eating disorders are psychiatric conditions where nutritional intake is impacted, and medical stability is a concern. Therefore, at minimum, a full treatment team typically includes a therapist, a medical provider, and a dietitian. This helps to best serve those in recovery by addressing issues from different angles and perspectives. An eating disorder team can be thought of like a three-legged stool -- without a leg, our stool is not stable nor complete.
All members of the treatment team will overlap with one another at different times. We often describe treatment provider roles in terms of a Venn diagram. We'll all overlap with one another a bit, but each have important and unique areas of expertise.
The dietitian will primarily focus on the areas of treatment that surround food, eating, and nutrition. Sometimes this may involve your dietitian prescribing a meal plan, but not always. Based on your unique needs and goals, your dietitian will create a nutrition treatment plan that best meets your needs.
Examples of common nutrition goals in eating disorder recovery are:
eating more food
eating more regularly throughout each day
incorporating more variety of foods
becoming more comfortable with foods that bring up fear, anxiety, or guilt
How to work toward meeting these goals, and whether others might be appropriate, will be up to your dietitian and you to decide. Everyone is unique, so it will be part of your dietitian's job to get to know you to create your treatment plan.
As you talk through your eating and relationship with food, various topics are likely to arise. Your RD is there to guide you through those discussions. Working with a dietitian individually means you get access to your very own personal nutrition expert who you can bring all nutrition questions to instead of Googling it -- how cool is that? Additionally, these sessions can be a space to examine your own beliefs about food and nutrition -- your RD will help you myth bust whenever necessary (proof below)!
Dietitians are not therapists, so the focus of your sessions will usually come back to food in some way. However, your relationship with food is intimate and personal, and likely brings up some emotion for you. It is normal and expected that feelings will arise as you meet with your dietitian. You never need to apologize for crying, or expressing difficult emotions, with your eating disorder RD. While it's always ok for food and emotion to go hand-in-hand, those big feelings are likely to even out over time in treatment.
When to reach out?
It's never too early to seek support with your eating or relationship with food. Here are some common reasons people get in touch with us:
Food or eating leaves you feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, or upset
Another provider, like a physician or therapist, has recommended you contact a dietitian
You have a medical condition that requires adjustments to your eating, and you're not sure how to move forward
You've dieted or tried restricting your eating on and off for a long time, and it just isn't working for you anymore, but you don't know another way
Really, no reason is wrong. If you're struggling with food, reaching out to an eating disorder informed dietitian is a great first step.
How to find the right dietitian?
We know that finding the right fit for you or your child is extremely important. Just as with finding a therapist who you connect and feel comfortable with, finding a dietitian who you can envision sitting with can make all the difference. Some questions you might ask your potential dietitian are:
Do you have experience/training working with eating disorders?
Do you utilize a Health At Every Size® approach? Do you practice Intuitive Eating?
Can you work with patients in my state? (if telehealth)
Do you take my insurance, or are your services private pay? If private pay, can you send me a superbill?
You may also have individual questions you want to ask based on what you know you or your loved one may need in a provider, which you are welcome to ask. However, taking the first step is often the hardest, and lots of things can get in the way of getting this vital support. We recommend getting started sooner rather than later.
All registered dietitian nutritionists at Beyond Measure are eating disorder informed, and utilize a HAES® approach. Start by booking a free 15 minute phone call to discuss working with our team.
If you'd prefer to get in touch other ways, visit our Contact page for options.
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