Equip

Children and teens get eating disorders at high rates, but only a fraction of those affected are diagnosed and treated. For pediatricians and children's health professionals, it's important to keep an eye out for signs and symptoms year-round, but the back-to-school season is particularly critical. Below are a few red flags to be on the lookout for during yearly physicals. If you notice some of these signs and there's not another explanation, it could be an eating disorder:  📈 Growth concerns: losing weight (or not gaining expected weight), falling off the growth curve, delayed puberty 🏃♂️ Poor bone health: low bone density, frequent fractures 🍴 Digestive problems: complaints of stomach pains, constipation, or other GI issues 🫀Cardiovascular problems: low heart rate, low blood pressure, or abnormal heart rhythms 💤 Consequences of malnutrition: irritability, depressed or anxious mood, slow processing skills, or social withdrawal Recognizing the signs of an eating disorder is vital, but knowing the next steps is just as important. Equip is a valuable resource when referring patients or guiding families about their treatment options. We offer a evidence-based treatment virtually, allowing families to recover at home, without disrupting their lives. Learn more about eating disorders in children here: https://lnkd.in/gu6f-Zrp

As a virtual eating disorder treatment program, we often get asked, so what level of care is Equip? Is it comparable to outpatient? What kinds of patients are a good fit? There's no simple answer to this question, because Equip doesn't neatly fit into one category in the traditional levels of care for eating disorders. Instead, we've reimagined eating disorder treatment by treating a wide range of medically-stable patients in all stages of recovery. Swipe to learn more about how Equip is reimagining eating disorder treatment, and visit our new webpage to dive deeper into who we treat and how: https://lnkd.in/gQFn7eqY.

On the heels of our announcement yesterday of our inclusion on the Forbes Next Billion Dollar Startups List, we're excited to share a bonus Forbes video conversation with our two co-founders Erin Parks, Ph.D. and Kristina Saffran. Watch now to hear from our co-founders on Equip's journey and vision for the future: https://lnkd.in/ggx2b8h4

This week Equip was recognized in Forbes Next Billion Dollar Startups List! 🎆 It’s an honor to be featured in this prestigious list. It wouldn’t be possible without the village it’s taken to get us here, and the payor partnerships we’ve developed to help make evidence-based care accessible to everyone who needs it. Click to read the full piece in Forbes about how co-founder Kristina Saffran saw a gap in the treatment landscape after her own anorexia recovery, and how Equip has grown into the company it is today. Thank you to Katie Jennings for bringing attention to our mission and the eating disorder landscape at large. https://lnkd.in/g4CcY_8C 

Contrary to stereotypes, eating disorders don't just affect cisgender females. They affect people across the gender spectrum—and in fact, eating disorders disproportionately affect transgender and non-conforming (TGNC) folks. To share just a few eye-opening stats: transgender college students are 4x more likely to have an eating disorder diagnosis, and 32% of transgender people report using their eating disorder to modify their body without hormone replacement therapy. This month’s Equip Academy event will focus on what you need to know to identify and treat eating disorders in this population, including terminology, risk factors, and symptoms. Join us on August 27, 2024 at 9am PT / 12pm ET for “Eating Disorders Across Transgender and Gender Diverse Populations,” presented by Carise Rotach MA, LMFT and Jonathan Levine, LCSW. The presentation is 60 minutes including time for Q&A, and free CE credits are available for those eligible. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/g-KfBJQs

Athletes are more likely to struggle with eating disorders, and the risk is even more pronounced for female athletes. It's common for serious athletes to have rigid eating and exercise habits, especially when they're in season. And if you know about eating disorders, you probably know that rigid rules and restrictions can be a slippery slope to harmful habits. The line between intense training and obsessive exercise can get blurred — as can the line between a strict nutrition plan and disordered eating.  These are a few of the key risks athletes face: 🏅 Pressure to succeed: Athletes often experience immense pressure to perform at high levels, which can lead to an unhealthy focus on body weight and shape as a means to enhance performance.  🏅Pressure to weigh or look a certain way: All athletes can experience appearance pressures, but it can be particularly pronounced for those involved in sports that emphasize aesthetics (like gymnastics and figure skating) or require athletes to compete in specific weight classes (like wrestling and rowing). 🏅Pressure to keep it all together: Being an athlete, especially at a competitive level, can come with a lot of stress: busy schedules, competition, injuries, and extreme highs and lows. This added stress can also become a trigger for disordered behaviors. But it's also 100% possible for athletes to maintain a healthy relationship with food, exercise, and their body while still performing at the highest levels. Understanding the risks outlined above can empower professionals in the athletic and healthcare fields to better support athletes and address these challenges proactively. To spread awareness about eating disorders in athletes, forward this article to coaches, trainers, and doctors in your network: https://lnkd.in/geNzJrD5

Athletes are 2 to 3 times more likely to struggle with an eating disorder than their peers, yet they're less likely to receive a diagnosis. With the Olympics in full swing, it’s more top-of-mind than ever to include eating disorders in the conversation around sports. Coaches, educators, and athletic industry professionals can serve as a first line of defense in identifying eating disorders and implementing preventative measures against them. Here are a few ways to protect athletes against developing eating disorders: 1️⃣ Encourage proper nutrition: Avoid labeling foods as "good" or "bad" or prescribing rigid diets, and emphasize the importance of adequately fueling the body for performance and recovery. 2️⃣ Make space for conversations about important topics: Offer education on the signs and risks of eating disorders, and create opportunities for athletes to share concerns around mental health, body image, or performance stress with a professional.  3️⃣ Monitor and address concerning signs: Be vigilant for warning signs of eating disorders, such as drastic weight changes, obsession with food, or excessive training. Establish protocols for early intervention and have resources on hand. You can learn more about disordered exercise or training here: https://lnkd.in/gZcbRYFE

Cognitive dissonance: the notion that as humans, we want to maintain consistency between our beliefs, values, and actions. If you’re at all in the mental health world, you’re probably familiar with this term. But did you know cognitive dissonance can actually be a tool for positive change in eating disorder patients? Our newest blog explores innovative cognitive dissonance-based body image programs as a way to help eating disorder patients push back on unattainable appearance ideals. Here's a quick look at how that works: When there’s a conflict between our beliefs and actions, we experience an uncomfortable dissonance and seek out ways to reduce that conflict and return to a state of consistency. When leveraged correctly, this phenomenon can help eating disorder patients begin to act out new, more positive ideals around their body image, even if they don’t “believe” them, yet. Some tools for using this concept with patients include: • Walking through the cost of pursuing appearance ideals • Role playing talking someone else out of pursuing societal appearance ideals  • Writing a letter to their younger self • Challenging negative body talk • Exploring the DBT skill opposite action Read the full article to learn more about this concept, and how it’s being applied today: https://lnkd.in/g4mvMuac 

New week, new research! The latest from Equip’s research team delves into the expertise of those with lived experience, and how these invaluable insights can add to the growing body of work about eating disorder recovery. The research team highlighted three essential themes through a series of interviews conducted both with those with a personal eating disorder history and with caregivers: 1️⃣ Expansion: participants’ worlds got bigger as they explored who they were becoming and discovered new ways of living in line with their values.  2️⃣ Balance between support and autonomy: maintaining this equilibrium as essential for enabling change to occur across the recovery process.  3️⃣ Addressing systemic factors: actively pushing back against systemic factors like diet culture and weight stigma were pivotal for recovery. Read the full study here to learn more about what lived experience can illuminate about the treatment and recovery journey: https://lnkd.in/gyFd95GK

We're thrilled to share these upcoming events as part of our ongoing mission to build community with and for those affected by eating disorders. These workshops are open to the public and are a discussion-based format, so our hosts can answer your questions in real time. This month, caregivers will be able to ask eating disorder specialists Tanya Hargrave-Klein MS, RDN, LD, Carly Knauf, Psy.D., Ellen Ewing, and Jenni Gaines about what qualities in a treatment program are best to fit their loved one's needs. If you know any caregivers who would benefit from this resource, please pass it along. Register for the event here: https://lnkd.in/g2nkp5Sn