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Stacy Shilter Pisano urges South Whidbey schools to screen for eating‑disorder signs, outlines supports for families
Summary
At a South Whidbey School District parent workshop, Stacy Shilter Pisano of The Emily Program told families eating disorders affect adolescents across genders and identities, urged attention to behavioral signs in schools, described screening and treatment options (including virtual IOP/PHP), and offered follow‑up resources for staff and caregivers.
Stacy Shilter Pisano, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified eating‑disorder specialist with The Emily Program, told a virtual South Whidbey School District parent workshop that eating disorders are common, often hidden and serious, and that schools and caregivers should be prepared to spot signs and help families access care.
"Recovery is possible," Pisano said, and she urged caregivers and school staff to look beyond body size for symptoms and to pay attention to behavioral patterns and functional impacts in the school setting. She told attendees that, in the United States, "more than 24 million people" live with an eating disorder and that "only one in 10 people with an eating disorder will receive treatment." She also cited a frequently used estimate that about every 62 minutes someone dies from an eating disorder or related complications.
Why it matters: Pisano framed eating disorders as brain‑based illnesses influenced by biological, environmental and psychological factors. She said early adolescent development, social pressures (including social media and…
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