Standing as the first hospitalization program in New York for the treatment of eating disorders, Avalon Centers has been treating patients with programs since 1998. Avalon engages a group of highly skilled professions who are experts in treating patients diagnosed with Obesity, Binge Eating Disorders, Bulimia and Anorexia. The facility offers a supportive, home like setting where patients work closely with Avalon clinicians, nutritionists, nurses, and psychiatrists to meet their unique mental health, emotional, nutritional, medical, and psychological needs.

Avalon has become known for helping patients who suffer particularly from obesity. Obesity and Binging are considered eating disorders that effect how a person perceives and treats their body. Overweight and obesity are often interchangeable terms for describing weight that is greater than what is healthy for a given height, age, and gender. Obesity and being overweight identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of other health problems, including heart disease, stress, depression, and so forth.

For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the "body mass index" (BMI). BMI is used because it correlates with their amount of body fat. An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. It is important to remember that although BMI correlates with the amount of body fat, BMI does not directly measure body fat. As a result, some people, such as athletes, may have a BMI that identifies them as overweight even though they do not have excess body fat.

For children and teens, BMI ranges above a normal weight have different labels (at risk of overweight and overweight). Additionally, BMI ranges for children and teens are defined so that they take into account normal differences in body fat between boys and girls and differences in body fat at various ages.

Avalon Centers declares that the most effective treatment for eating disorders such as obesity is a combination of interpersonal psychotherapy, nutrition counselling and psychopharmacology. Their approach involves individual treatments with the idea that "no two patients are alike." Through telephone and face-to-face interviews, Avalon's clinical team formulates a treatment plan best suited for the patient's needs. For some, outpatient nutritional counseling with supportive therapies might be very effective. Other patients may require a most intensive level of treatment to address physical and emotional health risk concerns.

The Avalon hospitalization program is a four to six week, Monday through Friday, program, in which patients meet for seven and one half hours each day and participate in a variety of individual and group sessions, which address the specific needs of their eating disorders.

Avalon provides each patient with a primary therapist to assess progress, provide support and offer one-on-one psychotherapy along with peer support. In addition to a daily process group, psycho-educational groups address issues such as self-esteem, body image, feelings management, assertiveness skill building, and relapse prevention.

Moreover, therapeutic meals are part of each day and are developed with each patient by Avalon's nutrition therapist. Pre-meal and post-meal stress reduction and symptom management are an inclusive part of the program.

Avalon Outpatient Counseling and Nutritional Services are located in their administrative offices in Clarence, NY. The program offers individual counselling sessions, individual nutritional consultation, and a variety of groups that utilize a holistic approach to treatment for patients with obesity.

To learn more about obesity and Avalon’s treatment facilities, visit Avalon-EatingDisorders.