According to the Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness, over 50,000 individual will die from and eating disorder.  Eating Disorders, the Journal of Treatment and Prevention poses that as many as 80 percent of all women exhibit some signs of an eating disorder at some stage in their life.  An estimated 19 to 30 percent of college females are diagnosed with some form of an eating disorder.  As many as 5% of all women living in the U.S. meet the criteria for an eating disorder diagnosis sometime during their adolescent years.  The National Eating Disorders Association claims that up to 10 million females and one million males struggle with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.  This eating disorder group also finds that most people with severe eating disorders do not receive sufficient care.

There are a variety of treatment methods for individuals who have an eating disorder. The following are the most notable options available in the United States.

Residential Treatment for Eating Disorders

Residential treatment programs for eating disorders generally provide an in-patient, out-patient and day treatment programs.  This type of treatment is often associated with a facility that specializes in eating disorders, has trained medical personnel and offers a variety of individual and family services.  The Emily Program is one such treatment program that offers support for individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder.

Group Therapy & Support Groups for Eating Disorders

Eating disorder groups have been set up throughout the United States.  Treatment facilities, hospitals and some non-profit organizations, such as churches, facilitate meetings to share common experiences to alleviate feelings of shame and isolation. The group process not only allows for the sharing of common experiences, but breaks the barriers and inspires self-understanding as each individual learns to identify unhealthy patterns and develop healthy alternatives.  Most eating disorder support groups are facilitated by trained group experts.

Family Therapy for Eating Disorders

Eating disorder family therapy sessions explore and strive to improve long-standing patterns of communication between family members. These family sessions provide awareness of common issues, family roles and help the individual with the eating disorder to recover.

Nutritional & Diet Counseling and Evaluation for Eating Disorders

Eating disorder dietitians help individuals with eating disorders to develop healthy, normal eating patterns through education and behavioral self-management. Nutritional counseling, education and meal planning are custom made for each individual client.   Trained eating disorder dieticians and nutritional specialist often work in conjunction with eating disorder treatment facilities