KU School of Medicine-Wichita

11 "Often, people think of eating disorders as food disorders — that people are simply eating too much or too little, but eating disorders are about so much more than food. Food is simply the mechanism through which larger issues are played out." — Melissa Hopper, Psy.D., clinical associate professor, Pediatrics 43% Ages 16 to 20 33% Ages 11 to 15 14% Ages >20 10% Ages <10 Source: anad.org Eating Disorder Onset 10-15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are male Source: Stats by Vanderbilt Health a credential that requires substantial additional education and 2,500 hours of clinical supervision. Of the four, Hopper is the only eating disorder specialist who primarily treats children. It is critical for pediatricians to know how to screen for eating disorders, because early intervention increases the chances of therapeutic success. Hopper sometimes sees patients for as little as six months. Others are in treatment for years. in the department, Hopper conducts the majority of the behavioral health didactics for pediatric residents. She brings the full breadth of her experience as a psychologist, which includes work in inpatient and community health centers, including COMCARE in Sedgwick County. She also shares what she has learned as a specialist in the treatment of disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). "We have lots of conversations about identifying eating disorders and when to refer and how you engage with families around these issues," she says. Hopper is uniquely positioned to share her expertise with medical students and residents: Locally, she is one of only four certified eating disorder specialists, Introducing a meal during a therapy session illuminates the complex nature of the disorders Hopper treats. She says it can be helpful to think about an eating disorder as "a medically complex psychological condition and psychologically complex medical condition." Still, treatment "begins with feeding," Hopper says. "We can't really do therapy until the body has been fed." That requires a team eort — both from her patients' families and their other health care providers. "All eating disorder work is very interdisciplinary," she notes. Hopper's work as a clinical associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at KU School of Medicine-Wichita is an extension of that interdisciplinary mindset. As the only clinical psychologist Pediatric psychologist Melissa Hopper, Psy.D., has filled her clinical oce with brightly colored décor, stued animals — and a handful of kitchen tools. In her work as a certified eating disorder specialist, Hopper occasionally prepares a meal in an air fryer during a session with a client who is struggling to eat. These meals may focus on exposure to new and challenging foods. Other times, they are shared, supportive meals with clients who struggle to eat alone. Melissa Hopper, Psy.D., clinical associate professor Pediatrics

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