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For
Nutritionists
and Registered
Dieticians
The Unique Use
of the
Nutritionist’s
Self in the
Treatment of
Eating Disorders
Eating
disordered
individuals
seeking to learn
effective weight
loss techniques
typically call
the nutritionist
first, quite
unaware of the
potential
existence of
pathology.
Treatment
success hinges
on the
professional's
capacity to
diagnose an ED
and refer and
treat the case
in conjunction
with a therapist
and medical
doctor. It
becomes a
delicate issue
to suggest a
potential
diagnosis of an
ED when the
nutritionist is
not sufficiently
knowledgeable
about ED, and
when the patient
seeks help to
enhance her
"wellness." The
work of the
nutritionist
potentially
evokes awareness
of emotional
issues that are
attached to
eating
behaviors, an
aspect of care
that most
nutritionists
are not prepared
or in some
cases, even
willing to face.
Food and eating,
offered as part
of a specific
plan, can be
perceived as a
"way in,"
revealing
undisclosed
fears and
pathology,
unearthing
anxieties long
camouflaged by
the ED; in so
doing, they put
the patient in
closer touch
with her Self,
mind, and body,
and put the
unsuspecting
dietician in a
position of
great
sensitivity. The
eating disorder
nutrition is as
much about
self-awareness,
self-determination,
self-regulation
and self-care as
it is about
weight
management.
Workshop
objectives
-
Understanding
what eating
disorders
are and
their full
implications
for
individual
and family.
-
Assuming
diagnostic
responsibility;
recognizing
an elusive
diagnosis
-
The
nutritionist's
unique use
of self in
the face of
unique and
complex
disorders
-
The
nutritionist's
role as
member of
the out
-patient
treatment
team
-
Including
parents as
recovery
advocates
for child
patients
-
The Nuts and
Bolts of
eating
disorder
treatment;
The
Nutritionist'
Tool Box
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