Outpatient coaching treatment was promising in adolescents with anorectic eating disorders

Background The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of outpatient Personal Trainer (PT) treatment in anorectic eating disorder.

Methods The medical histories of 70 patients receiving PT treatment at the Oulu Primary Health Care Center in 2013–2019 were collected retrospectively.

Results Altogether 84% (59/70) of the patients were treated as outpatients only. After a mean follow-up of 2.0 years 73% (51/70) of patients were doing well without any control visits, in 21% (15/70) BMI was normalized but control visits were still needed and for 4 patients the outcome was poor since BMI had been under 17.5 kg/m² for more than 1.5 years. PT treatment was most effective for patients without earlier psychiatric comorbidity (n = 50), 82% of them reaching a good outcome (p = 0.013) after 12 control visits (mean) and 0.8 years’ (mean) treatment.

Conclusions PT treatment was safe and effective in this unselected patient group. A long-term outcome study of this patient group is planned.