What Are the Treatments for Overeaters?

Overeating disorders are also called binge eating and compulsive eating. Patients with these disorders find it difficult to control the amount of food they eat. A chemical imbalance usually drives the compulsion and/or mental condition, which must be addressed before successful treatment for the overeating. Thus, most treatment programs for overeaters address more than just food. However, many programs must also get the patient's body to a healthy state before treatment begins, as many patients come to the program suffering from the harsh effects of overeating and morbid obesity.

Health Component

• When they join a program for overeaters, patients go on diets designed by healthcare professionals to make the body healthier. Overeaters tend to have--or are at elevated risk for--diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and other conditions caused by obesity and eating empty calories. The diets comprise foods that these patients must eat in order to survive their conditions that are secondary to the overeating. Later in the treatment program, the diets teach patients ways to use food as fuel needed for the body as opposed to a drug or mask for deeper psychological trauma.

Behavioral Therapy

• Overeating, like other compulsive conditions, has a behavioral component that fuels the condition. The overeating, along with the unhealthy foods that overeaters tend to consume, becomes a bad habit the treatment program must break. This is the purpose of behavior therapy. Patients learn ways to distract themselves from the cravings, substitute other behaviors for the binge eating and practice healthy eating habits. The goal is to turn these patients on to a healthier, active lifestyle and healthy habits that are nonconducive to binging. Some behavioral health treatments also include emotional modification therapy. They all work to help patients control their eating.

Psychotherapy

• One of the most important parts of overeating treatment is psychotherapy. Overeating patients are often known to suffer from depression, anxiety disorders and other mental conditions. The psychotherapy portion consists of drug treatments and private and group sessions aimed at getting to the root of the problem that mentally and emotionally feeds the overeating. Psychiatrists and/or psychologists lead this part of the therapy, and often see patients after they leave the inpatient portion of the treatment.

Inpatient Care

• Inpatient care programs require the patients to live at the treatment facility until they complete the program or have the skills necessary to live at home without binging. Medical professionals, dieticians, nutritionists and fitness and rehabilitative specialists are all on hand. Rooms in the facility are designed for residential use and are equipped to handle the obese patients, as are pieces of equipment like wheelchairs and walkers. The staff monitors patients closely for health, security and compliance.

Outpatient/Maintenance Programs

• The overeating treatment continues with outpatient care in the form of frequent meetings, check-ins and group sessions. The patients are not cured once they leave the treatment facility, but can find success with the help of maintenance programs.