{"id":85227,"date":"2025-03-04T09:21:09","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T15:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=85227"},"modified":"2025-03-04T09:21:11","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T15:21:11","slug":"panel-addresses-eating-disorders-as-part-of-awareness-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=85227","title":{"rendered":"Panel addresses eating disorders as part of awareness week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>By RORY MOORE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Tiger Media Network<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fort Hays Health and Wellness Services collaborated with Breathe Coffee House to organize a Can We Just Talk? dialogue about eating disorders inside the Memorial Union Cody Commons on Thursday. The event featured a discussion among panelists and breakout sessions between students and panelists to mark Eating Disorder Awareness Week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"790\" height=\"313\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-85232\" data-id=\"85232\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1171.jpg?resize=790%2C313\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1171-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C406&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1171-scaled.jpg?resize=370%2C147&amp;ssl=1 370w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1171-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C59&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1171-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C304&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1171-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C608&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1171-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C811&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1171-scaled.jpg?w=2370 2370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 790px) 100vw, 790px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">The Can We Just Talk? dialogue addresses Eating Disorder Awareness Week.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"790\" height=\"764\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-85231\" data-id=\"85231\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1177.jpg?resize=790%2C764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1177-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C990&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1177-scaled.jpg?resize=269%2C260&amp;ssl=1 269w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1177-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C145&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1177-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C742&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1177-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1484&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1177-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1979&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1177-scaled.jpg?w=2370 2370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 790px) 100vw, 790px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Brooklynn Raacke was diagnosed with Anorexia in 2019 and has blog to help with living with the disorder.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"790\" height=\"639\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-85230\" data-id=\"85230\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1183.jpg?resize=790%2C639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1183-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C828&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1183-scaled.jpg?resize=321%2C260&amp;ssl=1 321w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1183-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C121&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1183-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C621&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1183-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1242&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1183-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1656&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1183-scaled.jpg?w=2370 2370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 790px) 100vw, 790px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Will Stutterheim shares his approach on working with patients with eating disorders. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"790\" height=\"529\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-85229\" data-id=\"85229\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1185.jpg?resize=790%2C529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1185-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C686&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1185-scaled.jpg?resize=370%2C248&amp;ssl=1 370w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1185-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C100&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1185-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C515&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1185-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1029&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1185-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1372&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1185-scaled.jpg?w=2370 2370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 790px) 100vw, 790px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Pam Greenleaf leads the discussion with Neveah Copenhaver and Lisa Brening. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"790\" height=\"504\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-85228\" data-id=\"85228\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1197.jpg?resize=790%2C504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1197-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C653&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1197-scaled.jpg?resize=370%2C236&amp;ssl=1 370w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1197-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C96&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1197-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C490&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1197-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C980&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1197-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1307&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1197-scaled.jpg?w=2370 2370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 790px) 100vw, 790px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Students participate in breakout sessions with panelists about how they can help others with eating disorders watch their own eating habits. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Can We Just Talk? is a program established by Breathe and Dialogue Ministries to address the issues of loneliness, societal disconnection, mental illness and societal stigmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re dedicated to creating environments where people can connect and communicate with each other on a deeper level,\u201d psychology major Nevaeh Copenhaver said. \u201cToday, on this special Can We Just Talk?, our wonderful panelists are going to share their unique perspectives on a topic that is very sensitive for people with eating disorders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each panelist shared their perspective on eating disorders to explore clinical and nutritional insight along with their struggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brooklynn Raacke, also a psychology major, began the discussion with her experience living with Anorexia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt began in 2019,\u201d she said. \u201cWe moved away from Kansas to Wisconsin, and I met with my [new] primary care physician. After all our conversations were done, she sat me down and was like, \u2018You know, you need to slow down on the cheese curds.\u2019 I was taken aback because I had this authority figure commenting about a young, impressionable woman\u2019s weight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This caused embarrassment for Raacke, and she chose to keep the issue to herself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was very ashamed that someone had to tell me that as an eighth grader,\u201d she said. \u201cThen, in March 2020, COVID hit, and that was difficult for us. The dance stopped, and [as a dancer] that was a big source of what I used to allow my emotions, and I didn\u2019t quite know what to do with myself since that was taken away from me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While she took up daily jogging to regulate her emotions, she faced hardship from rigidity in her routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf it was raining one day, I\u2019d have a breakdown and be upset,\u201d Raacke said. \u201cI had to change what I was eating throughout the next couple of hours to fit not being able to run in the morning. By August, I was a freshman in high school, and I started to run three miles in the morning. Then I\u2019d go to school and dance, but I wasn\u2019t feeling myself properly. People kept congratulating me on taking care of my body, but little did they know it was hurting me more than helping me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After receiving help from the Emily Program in Seattle, Raacke helps others through her blog, which is dedicated to providing support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI wouldn\u2019t wish it upon anybody else,\u201d she said. \u201cIt did flourish and made me who I am today, and now it gives me the passion to help adolescents with eating disorders because someone can be struggling in silence for so long like I was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FHSU Psychology Professor and therapist Will Stutterheim advocates for mental health awareness in rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat we saw in smaller towns was challenges in having the appropriate resources out there for people to get the help they need,\u201d he said. \u201cLuckily, through the course of my career, I got some advanced training in cognitive behavioral therapy, and some of that was focused on treating eating disorders with CBT.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He acknowledged the difficulty of disclosing an eating disorder to others like Raacke did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo go forward and get treatment for it is one of the very challenging parts,\u201d Stutterheim said. \u201cIf you tell people they have a problem, you see a backfire effect where they\u2019re not contemplating that. So, in small communities, we\u2019re trying to do the best we can to treat physically through the clinics, and then to the mental health clinic doing the work on the mental side of the treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nutrition Professor Pam Greenleaf gave a nutritionist insight into eating disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI prefer to work with people on learning how to interpret their own bodies on the scales,\u201d she said. \u201cAll our bodies are unique, and we see these words, qualifications, sizes and different people, so I help them develop the skills to be themselves in a reliable way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her work revolves around attitudes about food and working with nutrition information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere&#8217;s a lot of static that goes on with people who live in this culture with diet stuff,\u201d Greenleaf said. \u201cWhen the body is undernourished, it makes it harder to hear what it needs, so to diminish a habit, you need to know what the body needs and honor those needs. Then, have some people alongside you to help encourage your meal-planning skills. Eating is a universal human experience, and you need to promote different behaviors than being tied up in culture or trauma.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assistant Professor in Nursing Lisa Brenning closed the panel with her experience supporting a child through Anorexia Nervosa.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy daughter was diagnosed when she was 12 years old,\u201d she said. \u201cShe needed inpatient treatment, but the wait time was too long, and they told me she was too sick to go to outpatient treatment, so we tried to nourish her enough before we could take her to a hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lesson she learned is that recovery for someone struggling with an eating disorder is tumultuous, and help is needed even if adequate nourishment is reached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRecovery is not a linear process,\u201d Brenning said. \u201cThere are a lot of ups and downs along the way. We have days that are good and days that are bad. So, she looks healthy, and she\u2019s way better than she ever was, but we still want to get her in a solid spot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More information about Can We Just Talk? can be found at breathecoffee.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By RORY MOORE Tiger Media Network Fort Hays Health and Wellness Services collaborated with Breathe Coffee House to organize a Can We Just Talk? dialogue&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":85232,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":false,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3397,3398,11],"tags":[9721,16181,16182,16183,15700],"class_list":["post-85227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-area-news","category-campus-news","category-news","tag-breathe-coffee-house","tag-can-we-just-talk-2","tag-eating-disorder-awareness-week","tag-eating-disorders","tag-rory-moore"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/DSC_1171-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1014&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=85227"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85234,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85227\/revisions\/85234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/85232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}