Equip

Do you know the warning signs of an eating disorder? For many parents, it can feel like a delicate balance between wanting to identify disordered eating signs early, and not wanting to say the wrong thing. To share some insights, Erin Parks, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and Equip’s Co-Founder and Chief Clinical Officer, is answering some of the questions our social media community has asked as part of our "Ask A Clinician" series!  Is there a question you want one of our clinical leaders to answer next? Share it in the comments! Use our "Is it an eating disorder?" screener to identify whether you or a loved one may be struggling with an eating disorder. https://lnkd.in/g3Mh6iGw #EatingDisorderPrevention #TeenMentalHealth

This week is the BIPoC ED Conference — hosted by Dr. Whitney Trotter and Angela Goens at the Houston Food Bank! This conference is an amazing opportunity to learn from leading experts in the eating disorder field through an intersectional lens. Equip is proud to be a conference sponsor and host a panel where the EFA (Equip For All) team will discuss how to support marginalized patient groups in eating disorder care. The panelists bring together lived experience and clinical expertise to examine the systemic gaps in eating disorder care and dive into details about how EFA supports patients at Equip. The panelists will also discuss how other healthcare organizations can deploy similar initiatives to promote accessible eating disorder treatment. We hope to see you there! #BIPoCEatingDisordersConference Link: https://lnkd.in/gHT-sZCG

Last month, TikTok banned the term #SkinnyTok from its platform, however the dangerous and influential ecosystem of “skinny creators” on the platform remains. Equip is featured in yesterday’s The Wall Street Journal story on the rise of influencers promoting–and selling–thinness as a lifestyle under the guise of “health.” Equip Dietitian, Stephanie Kile MS, RDN is quoted in the article, sharing what we’re hearing from patients: that this content promotes unrealistic body standards and risks normalizing disordered and restrictive eating behaviors. “Thinness does not always equal health. It’s not just about what your body looks like, but how you feel, how you function, how you’re doing everything else in your life.” #SkinnyTok is the latest iteration of diet culture and beauty standards online. And while banning a hashtag can make this content harder to find, it doesn’t eliminate harmful messaging—it just changes its name. Erin Parks, Ph.D., Chief Clinical Officer and Co-founder of Equip, shared in a LinkedIn post: “These communities adapt quickly, making it a digital game of whack-a-mole.” It’s an important reminder of the ongoing work needed to untangle health from thinness–and to continue to examine who you trust to provide health advice, and why you trust them. Is it their training and experience, or their body size? Thank you to Sarah Ashley O'Brien for including Equip and for writing such a timely and necessary piece. Read the full piece: https://lnkd.in/gsyu3DJR

When most people think about eating disorders, they often picture young people: adolescents, teens, and young adults struggling with body image and disordered eating behaviors. But, as Equip’s recent survey makes clear, eating disorders and body image issues don’t disappear as you age: they affect people at every stage of life, including older adults. Here’s what our survey found: ▪️ 75% of respondents aged 40+ are dissatisfied with their bodies. ▪️ 38% of respondents stated they think about body image more frequently in midlife compared to their younger years, feeling even greater pressure to control their weight. ▪️ 50% of respondents reported feeling guilty after eating because of its effect on their weight or appearance. Last month, The New York Times published an article, “Anorexia in Middle Age and Beyond.” The story highlights how for far too long, adults in midlife have been left out of the conversations about physical and mental well-being. Eating disorders don’t go away on their own, and they aren’t something you can grow out of. At Equip, we're committed to closing the gaps in eating disorder treatment and awareness. You can see more from our latest research here: https://lnkd.in/gNbNCBZs Read the New York Times piece here: https://lnkd.in/gZrqAvJA

According to Feeding America, 47 million people (including 14 million children) experience food insecurity annually in the United States. Tomorrow, ANAD (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) will be hosting a conversation on the intersection of food insecurity and eating disorders with Jason Wood and Equipsters Makailah (Mak) Dowell, Employee Engagement Lead and EFA Director and Carise Rotach, MA, LMFT, Director of Employee Engagement. Join Jason, Mak and Carise tomorrow 6/12 at 1pm ET for this important discussion ahead of the BIPoC Eating Disorder Conference at the Houston Food Bank next month. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g6CBJydh #BIPoCEatingDisordersConference #FoodJustice

📢 We're excited to share that Equip will be presenting at the Society for Digital Mental Health Annual Meeting today, Monday, June 9 at 4 PM ET as part of the Artificial Intelligence and Conversational Agents track. Jeremy Harper, PhD, Manager of Applied Science at Equip will present findings from Equip’s development of an automated provider assignment tool—a system designed to match patients to multidisciplinary care teams within our virtual eating disorder treatment platform. 💡The results? ➡️ 87% reduction in time from patient onboarding to care team assignment ➡️ Down from 24 hours to just under 3 hours—even as admissions grew 5x ➡️ Optimized across variables like licensure, time zones, and shared patient panels In a digital healthcare setting, speed and precision aren't just operational wins—they’re life-saving. We're excited to share how data-driven tools like this can improve access, reduce administrative burden, and support scalable, personalized mental health care. We’re so proud of the Equip team behind this research: Jeremy Harper PhD, Manager of Applied Science, Jessica Baker PhD, Senior Manager of Clinical Research, Emron Ahmadzai, Data Scientist, and Owais Javed, VP, Data & Insights Let us know if you’ll be attending! https://lnkd.in/ggTc_m-P #DigitalMentalHealth #HealthTech #MentalHealthInnovation #EatingDisorderRecovery #Equip #SDMH2025

LGBTQIA+ individuals are at increased risk for eating disorders and deserve inclusive, competent care that allows you to heal, fully and authentically. We’re glad awareness is increasing about eating disorders within LGBTQIA+ communities, and we’re committed to doing our part to amplify this awareness, close the treatment gap, and get effective eating disorder care to every person who needs it. If you think you or a LGBTQIA+ person in your life may be struggling with an eating disorder, finding treatment as soon as possible is vital. You can learn more about our 100% virtual eating disorder treatment here: https://brnw.ch/21wTdnU

📢 Announcing a Two-Part Webinar Series for Providers Body image concerns aren’t just common—they’re pervasive, serious, and increasingly complex in today’s social media-driven world. Equip is hosting a two-part CE-eligible webinar series to help providers better understand and address the impact of appearance ideals on eating disorder treatment. We’re excited to share this two-part series will be co-hosted by Ally Duvall and Dr. Cara Bohon. These sessions are designed for clinicians, therapists, and healthcare professionals looking to deepen their understanding of body image issues and improve the quality of care for patients navigating eating disorders. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend both parts of this series, but partial CE credit will be available for attending just one. Part 1: Body Image Considerations for Providers Explore the origins and cultural forces behind today’s unrealistic appearance standards, and learn how internalized ideals can influence the treatment process for patients with eating disorders. After attending this session, providers will be able to:  🔹 Identify the historical and cultural origins of dominant appearance ideals 🔹 Analyze how these ideals contribute to body dissatisfaction across diverse populations 🔹 Discuss the ways in which provider-held appearance biases may impact the treatment experience for individuals with eating disorders 📅 Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Time: 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET 🔗 Register for Part 1 here: https://lnkd.in/dbaxntVR Part 2: Using Dissonance Theory to Shift Thought Patterns Dive into the science of cognitive dissonance theory and learn how dissonance-based interventions can be used to improve body image and reduce risk for eating disorders. After attending this session, providers will be able to: 🔹 Define cognitive dissonance theory and its relevance to body image 🔹 Explore dissonance-based programs proven to reduce body dissatisfaction 🔹 Learn how to apply these principles in clinical practice to support patients with eating disorders 📅 Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2025 Time: 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET 🔗 Register for Part 2 here: https://lnkd.in/dsRRuVku #EatingDisorders #MentalHealth #BodyImage #ContinuingEducation #Equip #WebinarSeries #CognitiveDissonance

As a parent, you want to protect and provide the best for your child. When you’re worried that they’re sick, or struggling–especially with something that you might not fully understand–it can be really challenging. This month, we’re offering resources to parents so that you can feel empowered to bring up your concerns to your child and ultimately, get them life-saving care. Swipe through to see some commonly overlooked eating disorder warning signs, along with talking points to help you start the conversation with your child. You can also read more in our article “11 Subtle Signs of an Eating Disorder that Are Easy to Miss” here: https://brnw.ch/21wSXwt #EatingDisorderAwareness #TipsForParents #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

Exciting news for Minnesotans seeking eating disorder treatment! We are happy to announce that our evidence-based, virtual eating disorder treatment is now accessible to more individuals and families across Minnesota. To make a referral or get care for yourself or a loved one, contact our team here: https://lnkd.in/gXC_8D4j