Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS

Dr. Philip Mehler founded the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition about 25 years ago and served as its Executive Medical Director, from its inception until 2025. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha from the University of Colorado and then its medical school, he began his career at Denver Health 40 years ago and was formerly its Chief of Internal Medicine and then Denver Health’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) until he was promoted to its Medical Director, a position he held until his retirement from Denver Health in 2014.  Dr. Mehler is also the Glassman Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and has for decades conducted research into the optimal medical treatment of the most severe cases of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia. He has authored more than 600 scientific publications, including five textbooks published by Johns Hopkins University Press. Dr. Mehler was the recipient of the Academy of Eating Disorders 2012 Outstanding Clinician Award, has been recognized among the “Best Doctors in America” for the past 23 years in a row, and was voted the “Top Internal Medicine physician in Denver” multiple times by 5280 Magazine up to and including 2024. In 2023 he was honored by Iaedp with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2025 he was also awarded the Academy of Eating Disorders Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first medical physician to win both such awards in the field of eating disorders.   Previously Dr. Mehler was awarded the Florence Sabin Award for contributions to the health of Colorado and the Silver & Gold award, the highest recognition given to an alumnus of the University of Colorado. He is a member and fellow of the Eating Disorders Research Society and the Academy of Eating Disorders, as well as a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Eating Disorders and serves as the Senior Editor of The Journal of Eating Disorders. Since the early 1990s, Dr. Mehler has lectured extensively on a national and international level, as the leading medical expert on the topic of the medical complications of eating disorders. He continues to work part time as Chief Science Officer for the Eating Recovery Center in Denver.