Eating disorder treatment

An eating disorder is a treatable mental health condition that involves harmful eating behaviors. People with eating disorders have obsessive and negative thoughts and emotions about eating, food, body weight, or their physical appearance.

Eating disorders can affect anyone of any age or gender. Someone with an eating disorder isn’t necessarily underweight or overweight. The condition isn’t about how little or how much food you consume—it’s about your relationship with food and eating.

Penn Medicine offers eating disorder treatment programs for children, teens, and adults. We provide the medical expertise and compassionate support you or a loved one need for lasting recovery.

Your path to eating disorder recovery

Deciding you need professional treatment for an eating disorder is the first step toward recovery. When you turn to Penn Medicine for care, a highly trained team is by your side to ensure you receive the help and support you need.

Our eating disorder experts include board-certified psychiatrists, psychologists, registered nurses, licensed therapists, and dietitians. They work together with you to build a complete care plan. In addition to behavioral health care for eating disorders, patients also have access to gastroenterology, cardiology, endocrinology, and other specialty services from our world-renowned health system.

At Penn Medicine, we understand that seeking treatment for an eating disorder is a life-changing decision. Led by a team of eating disorder experts, our doctors, nurses, therapists, nutritionists, and other caregivers give you and your loved ones the tools you need to achieve and sustain recovery.

You’ll receive well-rounded support through medical stabilization, therapy sessions, nutrition counseling and meal support. We also offer other educational resources to help you better understand your condition, its triggers, and address other mental health needs you may have. We’ll work with you to create a plan to continue your care beyond active treatment and offer resources to help prevent relapse.

Families are a vital part of eating disorder recovery. We support and encourage family members to take an active part in the healing process. Through family therapy, we also provide guidance on relapse prevention.

Inpatient eating disorder treatment

At The Princeton Center for Eating Disorders located at Princeton Medical Center, we offer acute inpatient services for children and adults with eating disorders. A skilled team provides 24/7 medical supervision, stabilization, and support.

Our hospital-based programs make us highly qualified to offer medical and psychiatric care for the most critically ill patients with complex medical needs.

Inpatient hospitalization may include nutritional therapy, psychotherapy, medication, or other treatments for co-occurring conditions.