Episode 31: Body image and eating disorders, disordered eating

03/23/23 • 32 min

There are many factors that may impact the way we feel about ourselves and the way we show up each day, and one of these factors that impact many, including students is body image.

Adults and teens alike are presented with body image media on a daily basis through various forms of traditional and social media which can have a mental and physical impact on an individual. In this episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin's parent involvement coordinator, hopes to connect parents and guardians with resources if they suspect their child may be experiencing body dysmorphia or even eating disorders.

The most common types parents might hear or think about are anorexia or bulimia. But there is so much more that can affect a person's life when it comes to eating disorders, and that can often be referred to as disordered eating, which may include restrictive eating, compulsive eating, or irregular or inflexible eating patterns.

Burgard was joined by Dr. Heather Gallivan, clinical director at Melrose Center and Anoka-Hennepin licensed school nurse Jessica Patterson, to learn more about how parents can support their children if they are experiencing body dysmorphia and/or eating disorders and how schools can help connect families with support.

Melrose Center provides care for all types of eating disorders and has helped guide thousands of people toward recovery using evidence-based treatment. As a resource for anyone experiencing eating disorders or those that might be caring for an individual experiencing eating disorders, Melrose Center hosts a podcast titled Melrose Heals a resource. Listen to the Melrose Heals podcast.

The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

There are many factors that may impact the way we feel about ourselves and the way we show up each day, and one of these factors that impact many, including students is body image.

Previous Episode

Episode 30: Transportation safety and winter weather

Did you know that around 34,000 Anoka-Hennepin students ride a bus to and from school each day? The district transportation services department works closely with partners to safely transport students using approximately 380 vehicles traveling more than six million miles annually.

The district services more than 8,000 bus stops traveling to and from more than 60 school sites daily.

In the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast episode, host Liz Burgard is joined by transportation director B.J. Ison and transportation safety coordinator Jeff Mueller to learn more about what goes into safely planning a school bus route, where bus stops are located and much more. In this episode you will also learn about the annual school bus safety poster contest and how students learn about bus safety throughout the school year.

Next Episode

Episode 32 Part 1: School Resource Officers working in partnership with Anoka-Hennepin schools

The latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast is the first of a two-part series focused on school safety. In Episode 32 Part 1, host Liz Burgard sat down with Champlin Park High School principal Mike George and City of Brooklyn Park Police Officer and School Resource Officer (SRO) Andy Dickman to learn more about the role of the SRO in Anoka-Hennepin and their vital role in safety, building relationships and getting people comfortable in talking with law enforcement.

Anoka-Hennepin coordinates SROs in 12 schools across the district and maintains relationships with local law enforcement. These partnerships play a vital role in protecting the safety of students and staff districtwide.

Stay tuned for part two of this episode, where Burgard will visit with Greg Cole, Anoka-Hennepin's chief operations officer and Tim Fournier, Anoka-Hennepin’s security & emergency operations manager, to learn more about the district’s approach to school safety and improvements that have and continue to be made around the district to ensure the safety of students and staff.