A medical professional can help you and your child take steps toward healthier eating and nutrition. Understand that she just may not be seeing things the way you see things right now, and choose your battles carefully. Don't try to force food on your child - if you fear your child is malnourished or has an eating disorder, talk to a doctor or nutritionist immediately. The focus of treatment for eating disorders is helping kids cope with their disordered eating behaviors and thinking. Treatment includes medical supervision, nutritional restoration, and behavioral therapy, which addresses beliefs about body size, shape, eating, and foods.
Hospitalization occurs when a child or teen is severely malnourished.
In-hospital treatment for eating disorders lasts an average of 2 months, followed by outpatient aftercare, which may last several more months. Whatever the reason for the eating disorder, if parents and children can work together to understand the problem, the results will be more favorable. Generally, the earlier the intervention, the shorter the treatment period. If a parent can discover an eating disorder before malnutrition or continual binge-purge cycles occur, the duration of treatment is shorter. Other people say they have completely left it behind, so it tends to be really individual.