Eating disorder dietitians
Create a balanced relationship with food with help from expert eating disorder dietitians in the Twin Cities
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can damage physical and mental health. Recovering from an eating disorder means changing thoughts and behaviors around food. This can take time, but it’s possible with the right support.
Melrose Center has a team of eating disorder specialists to support you in
The first step to getting the care you need is scheduling an initial eating disorder assessment. At the end of the assessment appointment, we’ll provide a diagnosis and personalized treatment plan. This is also when you’re connected with your eating disorder care team, which usually includes a dietitian.
How eating disorder dietitians support eating disorder recovery
An eating disorder dietitian helps guide people back to a life where they get to choose how to feed themselves without judgement from an eating disorder.
At Melrose Center, our dietitians work with adolescents and adults who have
We always tailor dietitian support to your needs or those of your loved one, which is why the first appointment includes a nutrition screening. This helps us understand current eating patterns, how they relate to mental and physical health, and the treatment approach that will be most effective.
From there, we’ll meet regularly to check in on eating patterns, behaviors and progress toward goals. These sessions may include education on nutrition topics, hands-on activities and collaborative goal setting. Our dietitians are here to gently support you or your loved one in healing, not just your relationship with food, but also in nurturing overall well-being, including areas like sports nutrition and gut health.
Dietitian support is available in all treatment programs, including
Education and experiences to build a healthier relationship with food
We use evidence-based nutrition education to gently challenge the thoughts and beliefs around food, weight and body image that often fuel eating disorder behaviors.
Dietitians help people understand how the body responds when it receives the appropriate nutrition, and why variety and moderation are essential to overall well-being. We believe that all foods can have a place in a healthy diet and that there’s no one “right” way to nourish yourself.
Our dietitians provide support in many ways, including one-on-one sessions, group discussions, and shared meals and snack experiences. In some cases, eating disorder treatment also includes grocery store tours, food exposures or cooking experiences to help build confidence and comfort around food.
Many
A family-based approach for children with eating disorders
If you’re a parent or caregiver of a child with an eating disorder, you have an extremely important part to play in their recovery.
Family-based treatment (FBT) is scientifically proven to be one of the most effective treatments for children and adolescents with eating disorders. With FBT, parents or caregivers take a lead role in helping the child change eating behaviors, restore weight and return to normal growth patterns.
We know that being responsible for your child’s eating can feel like a lot, but you’ll have support at every step. Our dietitians work closely with parents and caregivers to make mealtimes feel a little less overwhelming and a lot more manageable. They’ll help you understand what balanced nutrition looks like, create meals and snacks that meet your child’s unique needs, and check in regularly to make sure everything is on track.
Nutrition support for people with type 1 diabetes and an eating disorder (diabulimia)
If you or a loved one has
Diabulimia requires specialized eating disorder treatment because of the complex interaction between type 1 diabetes and disordered eating behaviors – and the immediate health risks caused by misuse of insulin.
A person with type 1 diabetes needs to take insulin to help their body use glucose from food for energy. But if they have an eating disorder, they may skip meals, binge eat, restrict the amount of insulin they take or stop insulin altogether. This can result in serious health problems like diabetic ketoacidosis and vision problems.
At Melrose Center, certified diabetes educators and eating disorder dietitians provide education and guidance through individual and group sessions, and therapeutic meals.
- Therapeutic meals are a time when people with type 1 diabetes can work on portioning, carb counting and proper insulin doses with the guidance of a certified diabetes educator.
- Strategy and skills groups help patients learn how to balance eating habits and diabetes management. Activities include group meals, therapy and education.