If you or someone you know has struggled with an eating disorder, you know how complex these conditions can be. A strong desire to lose weight or get in shape can evolve into a compulsion – marked by severe food restriction, bingeing or purging. Eventually, the disorder can affect a person physically, psychologically and socially.

Look for expert specialists
What’s the best way to treat these complex conditions? “It’s important to find a facility that has a team of specialists who can evaluate and treat every aspect of eating disorders,” says Joel Jahraus, MD, executive director at Methodist Hospital Eating Disorders Institute. “At the very minimum, the team should include medical doctors, psychiatrists, dietitians and therapists.”

Eating Disorders Institute also has physical and occupational therapists, health educators, nurses, social workers and spiritual care providers.

Look for comprehensive treatment
Because eating disorders vary greatly in their severity, treatment should be personalized to meet the needs of each individual. Unlike some facilities that offer primarily outpatient treatment, the institute offers a range of options to meet patients’ needs at every stage of recovery.

• Inpatient hospitalization is recommended for patients who have a severely compromised medical and emotional condition. The institute receives referrals from neighboring states and throughout the country.
• Partial hospitalization treats patients from eight to 12 hours a day up to six days a week and allows them to go home at night.
• Intensive outpatient treatment offers patients three-hour sessions two to four times a week. They include a group therapy session, an educational session with a dietitian and a meal with other patients.
• Outpatient treatment is offered weekly and allows patients to continue meeting with the dietitian, therapist, medical doctor and psychiatrist.
• Binge-eating disorder program is offered in two phases, allowing patients to receive help for a total of five months. To learn more about binge eating, read "Beyond the shame: recovery for binge eating."

Look for family involvement
Eating Disorders Institute recognizes that family and friends can help patients recover, especially adolescents. “We often help families and patients heal together, especially if the parents or the individual has a lot of guilt and shame associated with the eating disorder,” Dr. Jahraus says. “We want everyone to realize that eating disorders are no one’s fault.”

Look for innovation
Many facilities that treat eating disorders use a cookie-cutter approach, treating all patients with the same techniques. “The approach we developed, called the Melrose Institute treatment model, is unique. It allows patients to choose some of their treatment options,” Dr. Jahraus explains. “Eating disorders can take away so much from patients that we believe it is important to offer them choices and some self-determination in their care.”

Look for proven results
In 2008, the institute tested the effectiveness of the Melrose Institute treatment model through its 20-year history by measuring patients’ long-term success in reducing eating disorder symptoms, improving their quality of life and ability to take charge of their recovery. It also measured the frequency of re-hospitalization and the return of related conditions, such as anxiety and depression.

By analyzing these results, the institute can gauge its effectiveness and modify its program accordingly. “So far, we have received tremendously positive feedback,” Dr. Jahraus says. “We believe our personalized approach with an innovative solution is helping us achieve better outcomes.”

Look at the new facility
The new Melrose Institute, a freestanding facility dedicated to treating eating disorders, will open March 16, 2009. Its fireplaces, solarium, outdoor deck and gardens are designed specifically to help reduce anxiety and promote healing. The facility will offer separate programs for men and women based on age and common interests.

To learn more about treating eating disorders or to schedule an initial assessment, call 952-993-6200 or visit Park Nicollet.com.