The Eating Disorder Treatment Program

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, we have decades of experience treating children with eating disorders. Our primary goal is to equip children and families with the skills they need for recovery, with families as active partners throughout treatment.

What is an eating disorder?

About Eating Disorders Treatment

Children’s Hospital Colorado has been helping children and teens with eating disorders, and supporting their families, since 1988. We evaluate and treat eating disorders in children and teens ages 6 through 18. Our location within a children’s hospital uniquely positions us to address the full spectrum of symptoms associated with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder and other eating disorders.

Learn more about our approach to eating disorders treatment

Why choose Children's Colorado for eating disorders treatment?

We deliver industry-leading outcomes through an approach that sets us apart. We provide a modified family-based treatment (FBT) approach. FBT involves parents or caregivers in all aspects of their child’s care. Families leave the program equipped to manage meals, routines and emotional challenges to support lasting recovery at home.

In addition to the family therapy component of the program, all patients participate in specialized treatment that addresses eating disorders in the broader context of emotional disorders. This approach helps kids better understand their emotions, cope with stress and recover from their condition.

Our nationally recognized team of pediatric eating disorder care providers tailors every treatment plan to each family’s unique needs, minimizing time away from school and home while maximizing the likelihood of long-term recovery.

Learn how the Eating Disorders Program at Children’s Colorado helped one patient child heal.

Types of care we provide for children and families

We offer two levels of care to support children and families through eating disorder treatment.

• Day Treatment Program: Located on Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, this program is designed for children and families who need more intensive support, but do not need 24-hour care. We personalize care to each family, and the duration varies depending on your needs. During this time, a specialized care team helps children and families develop healthy coping skills and establish sustainable eating patterns.
• Outpatient Clinic: For some children and families, we offer specialized outpatient therapy for eating disorders. Our outpatient care for eating disorders includes individual, family and group therapy as well as psychiatry services for medication management.

What to expect during eating disorder treatment.

Eating disorders research 

The providers at Children’s Colorado are dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of eating disorders in children and teens. Participating in research also brings the most advanced care to our patients sooner. Current areas of focus include:

• Parental Empowerment: Research shows that working with parents and caregivers to improve how they combat their child’s eating disorder leads to better outcomes and shorter treatment durations.
• Ease of Eating Scale: Our team is validating a scale that measures food avoidance behaviors, such as delaying meals or leaving food on the plate. This scale helps the care team and parents better assess their child’s behaviors, set treatment goals and track progress.

Contact the Eating Disorders Program care team

To schedule an appointment, call 720-777-6200 and a member of our team will guide you through the assessment and admissions process.  Learn more about scheduling an appointment.