Eating Disorders Blog

Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) are working to develop a new treatment program for anorexics that engages spouses to help with recovery. Anorexia, a form of disordered eating in which individuals severely restrict caloric intake over a prolonged period of time, has the highest fatality rate of any psychiatric disorder - approximately one in five anorexic individuals die due to malnourishment and related complications.

Anorexia is thought to be between three and five times more common in women than men, though the number of men suffering from the disorder has grown in recent years. Typically, adult men and women with anorexia go through therapy alone. Spouses or significant others of anorexics are most often baffled by the illness and unsure of how to help.

Cynthia Bulik, director of the UNC Eating Disorders Center, commented on the need for a structured program that includes spouses, saying, "Partners of patients with anorexia nervosa really want to help and don't know what to do." (Source: www.wral.com)

Labels: treatment, therapy, spouses

Posted By: Aspen Education Group