Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Radzak.
Hi Lisa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
WithAll grew out of a mission-driven collaboration between the Emily Program, a nationally recognized leader in eating disorder treatment, and Kitty Westin and her family following the tragic death of her daughter, Anna. For nearly two decades, with partners and supporters, we have advanced eating disorder awareness, education, and recovery support with hundreds of thousands of people across the Twin Cities and throughout the United States. For those who are working to recover from an eating disorder while also dealing with financial needs, WithAll supports their recovery efforts by offering financial assistance grants for groceries and housing. In 2018, we broadened our mission to include eating disorder prevention through the What to Say program. What to Say resources for adults who care for kids, support young people to feel good in their bodies and with food so eating disorders don’t develop in the first place. All of this is possible thanks to generous individuals and business sponsors.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Haha. Ha ha. No, the road has not been easy. I think most of what WithAll does requires some degree of struggle. I’ve recognized that the battle means we are on the right track because change never feels easy, but change is what we want for the next generations with how they think about and talk about their bodies and food.
The reality of the work is we are shining a light on mental health issues that most people would prefer to avoid. We are engaging adults on an overlooked-for-decades psychological and physical health issue that kills a fellow American every 52 minutes while millions more live silently in deep, deep pain. Tackling disordered eating and eating disorders requires all of us who are role models for young people to have some degree of willingness to look at our culture’s relentless messages around the “ideal body” and food perfection that is crushing our young people. So many of us do it in the name of “health,” but when we pause and think about it, a hyperfocus on weight and numbers and food ideals doesn’t result in health—it harms health.
We have to start by seeing this, to realize we could and can do it differently. This is hard stuff to acknowledge, but we must change the status quo for the sake of our kids and grandkids. This is never going to be easy work. But what is worth doing is every easy?
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next time, you can tell us more about your business.
WithAll works to help all kids feel good in their bodies and with food. We do this to prevent eating disorders and other mental and physical health issues. WithAll was the first organization in the United States to serve the general public with primary (i.e., upstream—before an illness ever starts) prevention information and resources—to equip adults to support kids by reinforcing young people’s innate positive food relationships and body image. This means eating disorders don’t have a chance to start in the first place.
All sorts of fundamental research on eating disorder prevention has been happening since the 1970s, but it has been available only in academic and medical research papers. A parent of a young child will not every have the time to thumb through research journals. So how are they going to know about this stuff that they need to know to support their children in ways that doesn’t contribute to health problems (mental and physical)? This is why WithAll created What to Say, taking what expert researchers and providers have learned and packaging it into accessible resources for busy adults—parents, teachers, coaches, pediatricians, etc.—to take in quickly and use immediately to support kids’ health with food and body.
We are also known for helping individuals who have both an eating disorder and financial needs while seeking treatment to recover. WithAll provides grants to help with groceries and rent while a person is in treatment and working to recover.
Our brand, WithAll, includes the initials of Anna Westin, the daughter of WithAll’s co-founder, Kitty Westin. Anna was a bright light with strength beyond measure and countless talents. The world lost her to an eating disorder in 2000. It is an honor to have Anna included in everything WithAll does. I think of her so often. WithAll also speaks to the wherewithal required to both recover from an eating disorder and to commit to preventing these deadly illnesses so our children can have a different path free from harmful body and food ideals that too often cause shame or make them feel insufficient or inadequate.
Before we go, can you talk to us about how people can work, collaborate, or support you?
We encourage everyone to check out our What to Say resources at www.WithAll.org because every adult can join this work by becoming aware of the importance of our work and actions and how we can support kids with food and body (while avoiding unintentionally, unknowingly leaving a young person with feelings of shame or inadequacy related to their body or food choices). We have resources for pediatricians, parents, coaches, teachers, and other adults. We rely 100% on individuals, families, and businesses for support. If you think what we are doing matters, we would appreciate your support in any amount—indeed, in any amount. Finally, we have volunteer needs throughout the year that pop up, so sign up to be a WithAll volunteer!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.withall.org
- Instagram: @withallorg
- Facebook: @withallorg
- Linkedin: @withallorg
- Twitter: @withallorg
