Eating Disorder Treatment

Eating disorder treatment is the coordinated medical, nutritional, and psychological care used to address conditions where eating behavior is significantly disturbed and is harming physical or mental health. At Good Health NC, our role inside this team-based model is medical evaluation, ongoing monitoring, and care coordination.

That looks like:

1. Medical assessment — vital signs, labs, EKG when needed, and a full review of physical complications.
2. Ongoing medical monitoring during outpatient recovery — labs, weight trends, and addressing complications as they come up.
3. Coordinated referrals to therapists and dietitians who specialize in eating disorders.
4. Level-of-care navigation — knowing when outpatient care is enough, and when a partial hospitalization, residential, or inpatient program is the right next step.

For patients and families starting to learn what an eating disorder is, the National Institute of Mental Health's eating disorders page is a reliable place to begin.

We care for the medical side of all the major eating disorder diagnoses:

• Anorexia nervosa — restrictive eating, fear of weight gain, and significantly low body weight
• Bulimia nervosa — recurrent binge episodes followed by purging or other compensatory behaviors
• Binge eating disorder (BED) — recurrent binge episodes without regular compensatory behaviors. BED is the most common eating disorder in the U.S.
• Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) — restrictive eating that isn't driven by body image concerns
• OSFED (other specified feeding or eating disorder) — patterns that don't fit a single diagnosis but cause real harm
• Disordered eating — patterns that aren't a formal diagnosis but warrant attention

Eating disorders frequently travel with anxiety, depression, OCD, and trauma. We screen for those and treat or refer accordingly.

Your first visit takes 45 to 60 minutes. Here's how we use that time:

1. History. Eating patterns, behaviors, weight history, exercise, menstrual history when relevant, family history, and what's prompting this visit.
2. Physical exam. Vital signs (including orthostatic measurements), oral exam, cardiovascular exam, and a check for signs of restriction or purging.
3. Labs. A standard set typically includes a CBC, comprehensive metabolic panel, magnesium, phosphorus, thyroid panel, and EKG if indicated. These are checked regularly during recovery.
4. Validated screening. Brief tools that help us track symptom severity over time.
5. Plan. A referral to an eating-disorder-trained therapist (typically CBT-E, FBT for adolescents, or DBT) and a registered dietitian, plus a clear schedule for follow-up labs and weight checks.

We involve family when patients want us to and when it's clinically appropriate. Family-based treatment is the standard of care for adolescents with anorexia.

Eating disorder treatment is team-based, and the right setting depends on medical and psychiatric severity.

Outpatient care (what we provide)

For medically stable patients, outpatient care includes:

• Medical monitoring — regular labs, weight, vital signs, and complication management with us
• Therapy — typically CBT-E for adults, FBT for adolescents with anorexia, or DBT when emotion regulation is central
• Nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian who specializes in eating disorders
• Medication management when indicated — fluoxetine has FDA approval for bulimia; lisdexamfetamine for binge eating disorder; SSRIs for co-occurring depression and anxiety

Higher levels of care (when we refer)

We escalate when:

• Vital signs are unstable (severe bradycardia, hypotension, hypothermia)
• Electrolytes are dangerously abnormal
• Weight is below medically safe thresholds or dropping rapidly
• Outpatient treatment has been tried and isn't working
• There's significant suicide risk or co-occurring substance use

Levels above outpatient include intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), residential, and inpatient medical stabilization. The American Psychiatric Association's eating disorder guidelines describe each level in detail.

Come in when:

• You or a family member has lost a significant amount of weight, especially if it wasn't intentional
• Meals are being skipped, restricted, or followed by purging
• Binge episodes are happening regularly
• Body image thoughts dominate your day
• Exercise has become compulsive
• Periods have stopped or become irregular
• Family or friends have raised concerns

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental health condition, and early intervention matters. You don't have to be visibly underweight to have a serious eating disorder. Bulimia and binge eating disorder are dangerous at any body size.

If you're experiencing chest pain, fainting, severe weakness, or thoughts of self-harm, this is an emergency. Go to the nearest emergency department or call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Three things make our role in eating disorder care different:

1. You can start somewhere. A lot of patients and families don't know where to begin. We're the medical home base — we evaluate, we order the labs, and we make the referrals to the right specialists.
2. Continuity through recovery. Eating disorders are usually long-term conditions. The medical monitoring, the labs, the weight trends — these are ours to track week over week, then month over month.
3. Honest escalation. We tell you when outpatient care isn't enough, and we help you find the right next step rather than waiting for a crisis.

Most major commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage plans are expected to be accepted at opening. We're located at 330 Sugar Magnolia Ln, Knightdale, NC 27545.