After the assessment, the next step is to establish a coordinated care plan tailored to the individual. A team of experienced professionals will work together to assist the patient in recovery. The team may include an internist, nutritionist, psychopharmacologist, one or more therapists (for individual, group or family therapy).

Treatment interventions are first aimed at restoring normal eating patterns and correcting the physical and psychological effects of malnutrition. The long-term goals are to diagnose and help resolve the associated psychological, family, social and behavioral problems so that relapse does not occur. For this part of the process, both psychotherapy and medication can help.

Psychotherapy. Although many types of psychotherapy or "talk therapy" are used in the treatment of eating disorders, two types -- cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy -- are proving particularly effective.
* Cognitive behavioral therapy is designed to help the patient gain control of unhealthy behaviors and to alter the distorted thinking that perpetuates the syndrome. The treatment uses a combination of procedures to change the patient's behavior, attitudes about shape and weight, and any other cognitive distortions such as low self-esteem and extreme perfectionism.
* Interpersonal therapy focuses on the patient's current circumstances and relationships. Initial sessions are typically devoted to a detailed analysis of the interpersonal context in which the eating disorder developed and was maintained.