Bulimic patients often can be treated on an outpatient basis, to minimize disruption of work or school schedules. Experts say that people with eating disorders often do not seek treatment for years because they fear they will be forced to gain weight. Initially, anorexia patients are given a carefully prescribed diet of simple foods to nourish the starved body. As patients start gaining weight, foods with higher fat content and more calories are gradually introduced. Counseling for anorexia usually includes both individual and group psychotherapy.
Therapists sometimes use occupational therapy to help patients bolster their self-esteem.
Many people with anorexia also attend counseling sessions with their families. Follow-up counseling can continue anywhere from 6 months to years after a healthy weight is restored to work further on issues that might contribute to recurrent problems. Male Anorexia Karen Carpenter lost her life to Anorexia Nervosa which brought a name and face to eating disorders in 1983.