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Eating Disorders
The Eating Disorders Program at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers
a comprehensive specialized approach to
the treatment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia
nervosa, and related conditions for individuals
of all ages.
The mission of the program is to provide
the most current and state of the art evidence-based
treatments to help individuals suffering
from eating disorders to achieve a lasting
recovery. This is accomplished through intensive
inpatient, partial hospitalization, and
outpatient services.
Our philosophy is based on the belief that
eating disorders are caused by biological,
psychological, and social factors and that
full recovery requires a supportive and
respectful multidisciplinary approach that
addresses all aspects of the individual.
The core goals of the program include:
• Achieving a healthy and sustainable
body weight.
• Developing healthy (nondieting)
eating habits
• Learning how to reintegrate healthy
activity into one’s lifestyle
• Treating any physical complications
that may have arisen as a result of unhealthy
eating or weight control practices
• Treating additional problems such
as anxiety or depression
• Providing tools to replace unhealthy
thoughts with healthier ones
• Challenging the irrational thinking
that maintains eating disorders
• Empowering parents to help their
child recover and remain well
• Providing a step-down approach that
gradually introduces more autonomy and helps
reintegrate individuals back into a healthy
lifestyle
• Achieving a balanced and healthy
lifestyle
Inpatient program
The inpatient facility is on the 5th floor
of the North Carolina Neurosciences Hospital
at UNC. This facility includes 10 beds that
are dedicated solely to the treatment of
eating disorders. The inpatient program
is highly structured and follows the principles
of cognitive-behavioral therapy. All patients
participate in the structured group program
and receive individualized treatment as
well. All meals and snacks are supervised
in a supportive environment by experienced
members of our treatment team. Post-meal
observations are designed to be anxiety-reducing.
Components of the inpatient treatment
program include:
• Daily consultation with the psychiatrist
• Individual psychotherapy with a
psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker
• Consultation with other medical
and dental disciplines when necessary
• Group cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy
• Individual nutritional counseling
and meal planning
• Instruction in healthy nutrition
• Family therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Recreational therapy
• Relaxation training, gentle stretching,
and reintegration of exercise
• In-house school
• Community meetings
• Non-denominational spirituality
groups
• Media awareness groups
Partial Hospitalization Program
The Partial Hospitalization Program provides
day long active structured programming from
Monday through Friday. This includes three
meals and two snacks per day. Partial hospitalization
is recommended for individuals who have
successfully completed the inpatient program
or whose treatment needs could best be met
with a less structured environment. Partial
hospitalization programming includes many
of the same features as inpatient treatment,
but allows the patient greater autonomy
and helps with facing challenges of the
outside world.
Outpatient treatment
The UNC Outpatient Eating Disorders clinic
is the third component of stepped care.
Outpatient treatment is tailored to the
specific needs of each individual patient
and includes medication consultation, individual
psychotherapy, family therapy, nutrition
counseling, and group psychotherapy. In
addition, our staff can provide consultation
with outpatient providers from other locales
to assist with discharge planning and ongoing
outpatient care.
Our treatment team
The UNC treatment team includes care providers
who are dedicated to the treatment of individuals
with eating disorders. The team includes
board certified psychiatrists, pediatricians,
licensed clinical psychologists, registered
dieticians, licensed clinical social workers,
occupational therapists, recreational therapists,
and a skilled nursing staff who are specifically
trained in working with eating disorders.
Involvement of the family
Eating disorders can devastate families
and our philosophy is to integrate families
into treatment whenever possible. This includes
regular family meetings, frequent communication
between providers and families, and invitations
to attend educational events in order to
learn more about our approach to treating
eating disorders and to help empower families
to assist in recovery.
Admission to the program
Admission to the program is by referral.
All patients admitted to the program will
undergo a complete outpatient psychological
and medical assessment. The treatment team
will help determine the best level of care
and develop an approximate projected course
of treatment. At that point, the financial
team can assist with reviewing payment options.
To inquire about admission, please contact
your medical or mental health provider.
You may also contact the Eating Disorders
Intake Coordinator at (919) 966-7012.
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