How could diet affect anorexia nervosa?

    Last Updated: October 25, 2023

    Medically supervised diets play an essential role in treating anorexia nervosa. If the person is severely malnourished, they may need to be fed through a tube or intravenously to prevent the electrolyte imbalances that can occur from eating too much too quickly after a period of starvation. However, this isn’t a concern for every person, and some evidence suggests that it’s safe to rapidly increase food intake with thorough supervision to manage electrolyte levels.[1][2]