Get Nutrition Therapy for OCD and Anorexia from Dietitian Nutritionists in the St. Louis Area

The Relationship Between OCD and Anorexia: Disorders.

While two distinct mental health conditions, they certainly share some of the same features and can go hand-in-hand. For instance, there can be overlapping genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors between the two disorders. It’s been suggested that both conditions may experience changes in the brain circuits related to reward, motivation, and control. Factors such as childhood trauma, societal pressure regarding body image, and family dynamics can also contribute to the development of both disorders.

Common Characteristics of OCD and Anorexia Nervosa:

Those with anorexia may engage in compulsive behaviors related to food restriction, exercise and calorie counting. These behaviors generally help to alleviate the underlying anxiety they may be feeling towards body image, food, weight, exercise, etc. Those with anorexia may also experience intrusive thoughts about food, weight gain or body dissatisfaction which can mimic the obsessions seen in OCD.

OCD and Anorexia Treatment:

It’s crucial to have a multidisciplinary team with a dietitian that specializes in eating disorder behaviors (wink wink, us at Branz Nutrition) and a therapist that specializes in OCD to maximize treatment efforts. In addition, medication and support from other healthcare professionals may be warranted. As always, we have recommendations for other team providers that can assist with OCD and eating disorders.

What is the most successful treatment for anorexia athletica?

Treatment is really no different than any other eating disorder we may treat in our practice. We would provide nutrition therapy to clients struggling with anorexia athletica by prescribing meal guides, breaking down rules and beliefs around food and exercise, ensure they are fueling appropriately for their sport and working alongside their support system and team of other professionals such as therapists, doctors, coaches, parents, etc.

Does insurance cover nutrition therapy for anorexia?

We are in-network with many insurance companies. Insurance-based nutrition counseling is based on your insurance provider’s approval and specific insurance plan. We can only provide services based on what they allow, following their specific guidelines. Such perimeters include:

Limitations in visits
Requiring a certain amount of time in between appointments
No additional support between appointments
Check your medical nutrition therapy benefits here.

While nutritional counseling can be beneficial for various conditions, we find that, specifically for those suffering from disordered eating, continuous support and ongoing accountability is the game changer in achieving recovery.

We believe that full recovery is possible with the right support and treatment. We look forward to being part of your healing process.