What NOT to do as an RD in the ED and Mental Health Space: Lived Experience, Clinical Consensus, and Research Review

Traditional dietetics education is solid in its comprehensive education on nutrition science, physiology, biology, microbiology, and on and on…but it lacks in offering food support to the whole person (personal preferences, lifestyle, culture, religion, etc.). When applied to the space of mental health and eating disorder care, traditional dietetics language, assessment, approaches, and practices not only miss the mark but can and do cause harm. This will be a comprehensive review of how we can do better, starting now.

Learning Objectives:

Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Apply in practice effective screening questions to identify disordered eating behaviors and/or dysfunctional food dynamics (anxiety, fear, avoidance, etc.) to provide best care.
2. Identify harms contributing to eating disorder prevalence with the use of weight-centric practices, failures to identify personal/organizational bias, and a lack of understanding.
3. Demonstrate personal and professional growth by identifying specific areas for growth and immediate changes that can be put into practice.

Megan A. Kniskern Bio:

Megan A. Kniskern MS, RD, LD/N, CEDRD-S is the owner of MAK Nutrition Services, LLC, where she works with clients, provides professional supervision, and precepts future registered dietitians. She is also a Senior Lecturer at Arizona State University (since 2014), teaching management, leadership, professional preparation, and basic nutrition courses along with a graduate-level eating disorders and substance use disorder course which she developed.

As the Senior Clinical Nutrition Advisor at ViaMar Health in West Palm Beach, Florida, Megan’s strengths are working with complex eating disorder clients; providing RDs supervision in the areas of eating disorders, substance use, and mental health nutrition support; and educating through a non-diet, weight inclusive, client-centered lens to help improve food dynamics and body connection.

Co-author of the Revised 2020 Eating Disorder Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Practice (published), Megan has loved serving in past leadership roles with the Behavioral Health Nutrition (BHN) DPG and the International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians (IFEDD).