UCSD Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research (CHEAR) is delighted to partner with health providers throughout the community to help combat obesity and collaborate in patient care. We frequently receive referrals from pediatricians, school nurses, and primary care providers and welcome the opportunity to collaborate with you.
OUTPATIENT CLINIC SERVICES
The Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research
outpatient clinic provides evidence-based behavioral and mental health services for children, adolescents, and adults. Our clinicians specialize in a wide variety of eating and weight-related disorders including
binge eating, weight loss/ management, gastroenterology problems, picky eating, as well as eating disorders. Treatment is available in an individual or a family setting and typically takes place once a week. We take
some forms of insurance as well as having an
affordable sliding scale fee for those whose insurance will not cover treatment. CHEAR strives to be a source of support and education for adults in our community, as well as a perfect place for children to come and learn about eating issues and weight loss with a fun, energetic and engaged staff. To inquire more about clinic services, please contact us at (855) UCSD-4-W8 or (855-827-3498).
(coming soon) UCSD Intensive Chronic Overeating Program (iCOPE)
Chronic overeating and binge eating affect a large number of Americans, and are associated with psychological (i.e. depression, anxiety, loneliness) and physical (i.e. diabetes, higher risk of cancer and stroke, orthopedic) issues. Overeating and binge eating can lead to weight gain, with 2/3 of adults suffering from either overweight or obesity. Furthermore, almost 3% of individuals will be diagnosed with binge eating disorder in their lifetime, affecting over 9 million people.
Currently available treatments recommend those who overeat reduce their intake by avoiding unhealthy foods and resisting urges to eat. It is virtually impossible to avoid all high calorie palatable foods, and for some people, this challenge is more difficult than for others in our food-abundant environment.
Recent studies suggest that a subset of individuals may be prone to chronic overeating. Brain imaging research has shown that individuals who engage in chronic overeating are hard-wired to be more responsive to food and food cues in the environment. In today's food environment, individuals with this biological predisposition are forced to exercise extreme control to counteract urges to eat. Until now, there have been no treatments that address this problem; individuals have been expected to rely on "willpower" and avoidance to resist overeating. Science now suggests that this is an unrealistic expectation for someone who experiences this powerful biological urge in today's food environment.
The UCSD Intensive Chronic Overeating Program (iCOPE) is the first treatment designed to train individuals so that urges to overeat exert less power over them, making it easier to be successful in today's food environment. The iCOPE program targets your brain and physiological cravings. This program is designed to help you understand why your brain is fighting against you, while teaching you to think about food less. It can help you stop yourself once you start eating, and tolerate any desires that may arise without giving in to them.
iCOPE trains individuals to control their strong urges to overeat using ground-breaking treatments developed from a deep understanding of the neurobiology that drives binge eating and overeating. Throughout this program, you will receive intensive training targeting the brain mechanisms that will help you develop skills to think about food less and stop eating once you start, manage and regulate emotions leading to overeating, and resist giving into cravings when they occur. The iCOPE program uses computer brain training skills, emotion regulation skills targeting emotional eating and exposure skills to help you resist the cravings. iCOPE skills lead to new brain pathways and habits that will assist you to be more successful upon transitioning home.
For more information, please contact Monica at our toll free number (855) UCSD-4-W8 or (855-827-3498![]( "Call: 855-827-3498")
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Program Structure
Most individuals do not have access to the most up-to-date treatments for chronic overeating/binge eating. iCOPE allows for individuals from all over the world to access cutting-edge treatments. The iCOPE is an intensive program that takes place over five days. The program runs from Monday through Friday from roughly 9AM until 4PM and includes experiential eating, group therapy, individual therapy, and a variety of computerized training tasks. Over the course of the five-day program, participants will receive roughly 35 hours of continuous treatment during which they will learn, practice, and master the most effective strategies to stop chronic overeating.
Evaluation
A full psychological evaluation and assessment will be conducted over the phone prior to the beginning of treatment. In some cases, it is required that individuals get medical clearance by a local physician prior to attending the program, and provide a release of records from any therapist.
Location of the Program
The program will be held at 8950 Villa La Jolla Drive Suite C203, La Jolla, CA 92037.
Accommodations
The majority of individuals fly in on Sunday before the treatment week and stay at a nearby hotel. The two hotels that are within walking distance are Sheraton La Jolla Hotel and the Residence Inn San Diego La Jolla. For a list of other hotels near our clinic, please visit this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is your success rate?
While we have not conducted a formal research study, we have collected data and information on all of the treatment strategies used in the iCOPE program. Preliminary results on our treatment approach are very promising and include changes such as reduced cravings and increased ability to resist to palatable foods, reduction in weight, reductions in binge eating and overeating, and improved emotional regulation. We have been treating individuals with chronic overeating in our clinic since 2008.
What can I get in just 5 days?
This week is a powerful intervention because we provide access to the best cutting-edge treatments available. Furthermore, receiving the intensive dose of treatment offered through iCOPE has significant benefits due to the ability for intensive practice and monitoring, which allows for new habits to form and old habits to begin to diminish. iCOPE participants receive the level of treatment, education, and training in five days that is normally delivered over the course of 8-9 months in standard treatment. Consolidating treatment into five days not only allows for a wider audience to access this cutting-edge treatment, but deepens the learning that is experienced in a way that allows for new behaviors to be maintained. Furthermore, many program components, such as computer tasks aimed at re-training the brain, are designed so that participants can continue to take advantage of training exercises upon returning home.
For additional program information please contact our intake coordinator, Monica at our toll free number (855) UCSD-4-W8 or (855-827-3498)
