Symposium on eating disorders held at FHU

September 8, 2023

Brooklyn Kent,

HENDERSON, Tenn. — Freed-Hardeman University hosted a symposium Friday afternoon to help students and professionals of the Henderson area to learn more about eating disorders.

Guest speakers were from the Renfrew Center in Nashville. The goal of this forum was for attendees to learn more about eating disorders.

“To make sure we are bringing awareness and education to not only the community, but also area professionals for folks who need to support or provide treatment for folks who have an eating disorder,” said Laurie Cooper, regional assistant VP of operations for the Renfrew Center.

The Renfrew Center is dedicated to helping those who may have an eating disorder and ways to help.

“So the Renfrew Center is a treatment center that provides all levels of care for folks who have a primary diagnosis of an eating disorder,” Cooper exlained.

This symposium was from 8:30 that morning until 5 that afternoon, educating attendees how to help and understand those with eating disorders.

Dr. Cooper shares what her main goal was for this symposium.

“An eating disorder has nothing to do at all with vanity,” Cooper said. “I think that’s a common misperception that we have, that an eating disorder is about wanting to be skinny or whatever, and it’s not, it’s not at all about that, it’s all about how to manage the emotions we all feel, and our culture really blends itself to sort of adopting eating disorder behavior as a way of thinking or feeling that it is going to solve a lot of those problems.”