Overview
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and UC San Diego have joined forces to open the Medical Behavioral Unit,
the only child and adolescent medical/behavioral inpatient unit in San Diego. The unit treats children and adolescents with medical complications associated with severe malnutrition and pediatric eating disorders.
Patients are cared for by a highly experienced team of healthcare professionals with medical, mental health and behavioral health expertise, and specialized experience in treating children’s eating disorders. Our staff includes behaviorally trained nurses, licensed psychiatric technicians, dietitians, psychologists and physicians from our Adolescent Medicine, Hospital Medicine, Medicine/Pediatrics and Psychiatry services.
This team is dedicated to providing thorough care, addressing the unique needs of individuals with eating disorders with a focus on behavioral health, nutrition and overall well-being.
Eating Disorder Multidisciplinary Team & Expert Treatment
Inpatient care is provided by health professionals for children, adolescents and young adults with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, and other related feeding and eating disorders. These patients often have abnormal cardiovascular function or are severely underweight from lack of food and require nutritional rehabilitation and monitoring under expert care.
The Eating Disorders Treatment team of healthcare professionals is led by world-renowned authority on eating disorders, Walter Kaye, M.D., professor of psychiatry and director of the UC San Diego Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research. Medical treatment for recovery is directed by Kyung (Kay) Rhee, M.D., M.Sc., M.A., professor of pediatrics.
What Inpatient Treatment Includes:
- A complete medical examination and evaluation by an eating disorder specialist, focused on detecting complications of the eating disorder and determining the optimal weight range for each patient. Treatment is initiated for medical complications such as severe malnutrition, low heart rate, low blood pressure, dehydration, or abnormal electrolytes. The specialist sees the patient daily and works closely with the care team to adjust the treatment plan as needed.
- Dietary assessment by a registered dietitian to support nutritional rehabilitation, weight restoration, and physical recovery.
- Fully supervised meals and snacks to promote safety, structure, and consistent nutritional intake.
- Behavioral interventions to support nutritional rehabilitation, weight restoration, reduction of binge and purge behaviors, and management of anxiety or distress related to eating.
- Therapy, including individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy, using evidence-based and best-practice approaches such as dialectical behavioral therapy and family-based therapy for eating disorders.
Eating Disorder Treatment Approach
There is a growing understanding of how powerful brain processes contribute to behaviors that create and sustain anorexia and bulimia nervosa. This new understanding has helped reinforce eating disorders as a biologically based brain disorder, and has supported efforts to ensure treatment is covered in the same way as other medical illnesses.
Rady Children’s and the UC San Diego Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research use treatment approaches based on this growing body of knowledge, including helping children and adolescents with eating disorders to:
- Learn to be successful in a “real-world” environment by helping them — and their entire family — develop effective support strategies.
This family-based treatment approach, known as the Maudsley model, has been shown to improve outcomes and reduce relapses. - Develop more effective strategies to cope with the altered appetite, reward, anxiety, obsession and impulse control alterations that can make sustaining recovery difficult.
Rady Children’s and UC San Diego are among the only places that provide Maudsley family-based treatment, which requires specialized training. As a result, patients come to us from throughout the country and around the world for our expertise.
Video: Dr. Walter Kaye discusses the biology of eating disorders
In this video, Walter Kaye, M.D., a nationally recognized leader in eating disorders research and treatment, discusses the biological basis of eating disorders and how advances in genetics and brain imaging are shaping more effective therapies. As part of the collaborative partnership between Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego and the UC San Diego Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, this work directly informs the evidence-based care provided to children and adolescents treated through Rady Children’s Eating Disorders Program.
Contact Us
Medical Behavioral Unit (Map it)
Acute Care Pavilion, 4th Floor
3010 Children’s Way
San Diego, CA 92123
If you are concerned for the immediate medical safety of your child or adolescent, please go to your nearest Emergency Room.
Please note: a referral is needed by your doctor for admission.
For families seeking information about eating disorders treatment programs or general inquiries, please contact us below or call the MBU main line:
858-576-1700, ext. 225368.
For Providers:
Physicians seeking information about medical admissions: fill out the referral form below or call 858-576-1700
and ask to page the Eating Disorder physician on call for the Medical Behavioral Unit.
For immediate medical admissions, please call 858-576-1700 and ask for the Eating Disorder physician on call.
Video: Learn about our Eating Disorders Program and specialized expertise
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an eating disorder?
Eating disorders are conditions that affect the way a person eats and can impact physical health, emotional well-being, and relationships. They are serious medical conditions that require appropriate care and support.
What are the different types of eating disorders?
There are several types of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
What is ARFID?
ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder) involves limited food intake or avoidance of certain foods that can lead to weight loss, poor growth, or nutritional deficiencies. Unlike anorexia, ARFID is not driven by fear of weight gain or concerns about body image.
What should I do if I think my child has an eating disorder?
If you are concerned, start by talking with your child’s doctor or a medical professional experienced in eating disorders. Early evaluation and treatment can make a meaningful difference in recovery.
When should we seek urgent or emergency care?
If you are concerned for the immediate medical safety of your child or adolescent, please go to your nearest Emergency Room.
What happens during inpatient treatment on the Medical Behavioral Unit?
Inpatient care may include medical evaluation and monitoring, nutritional rehabilitation, supervised meals and snacks, behavioral support, and therapy. Care is provided by a multidisciplinary team, with a plan for ongoing treatment after stabilization.
Do we need a referral for admission?
Yes. A referral from your child’s doctor is required for admission. Please see the Contact Us section on this page for guidance for families and providers.
In the News
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- Overcoming pediatric obesity: Behavioral strategies and GLP-1 support, Contemporary Pediatrics, features Kyung (Kay) Rhee, M.D.
- Anorexia’s Complex Etiology Opens Path to New Treatments, Psychiatric News, features Walter Kaye, M.D.
- How Bulimics’ Brains Are Different, CNN, features Walter Kaye, M.D.
- When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder, Family Circle, features Walter Kaye, M.D.
- Risk for Anorexia Could Be Genetic: Study, NBC Los Angeles, features Walter Kaye, M.D.
- New Insights on Eating Disorders, Monitor on Psychology, features Walter Kaye, M.D.
- Children’s Mental Health Conference Tackles Tough Issues, NBC 7 San Diego, features Walter Kaye, M.D.
- Is There a Link Between Autism and Anorexia?, The Atlantic, features Walter Kaye, M.D.
- Bill Would Ban Anorexic Models In California, KPBS, features Walter Kaye, M.D.
- Psychiatry Doesn’t Recognize ‘Orthorexia’ – An Obsession with Healthy Eating. But the Internet Does, The Washington Post, features Walter Kaye, M.D.
- Anorexia May Be Habit, Not Willpower, Study Finds, The New York Times, features Walter Kaye, M.D.