Obesity/overweight Program in an Eating Disorders Unit

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The Eating Disorders Unit (EDU) of the Santa Cristina Hospital (Madrid) is an intensive treatment resource addressed to chronic patients diagnosed with eating disorders (ED) with repeated therapeutic failures and / or psychiatric comorbidities. In recent years the number of patients referred with overweight and obesity is increasing more and more, becoming the 21% of the treated patients. Considering the increasing demand to treating patients with overweight and obesity and their differential clinical features we created a specific treatment program specially for this population. EDU is a partial hospitalization resource with two shifts, the one in the afternoon is addressed to patients with impulse control deficit, diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. The treatment at this Unit is essentially multidisciplinary and mainly based on group dynamics. Overweight and obese patients attend to a specific program to manage eating symptoms, disease awareness and motivation to change, and futhermore to enhance weight loss promoting moderate physical exercise and the acquisition of healthy habits based on the Mediterranean Diet. They are also provided a more homogeneous space to deal with their body dissatisfaction. Patients who follow the specific overweight / obesity program experience strong group cohesion that is very motivating to introduce progressive changes in self-care. Clinical management of overweight and obesity is complicated when there is a comorbid eating disorder. A specific and intensive multidisciplinary treatment is recommended in these type of patients.