Topic: Beyond BMI: Screening and Treating Eating Disorders in Higher-Weight Patients in Obesity Care Settings

by Susan McClanahan, PhD

Susan McClanahan, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than twenty years of experience in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders across levels of care. She is recognized for her contributions to developing intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and residential programming in the Chicago area.

In 2004, Dr. McClanahan founded Insight Behavioral Health Centers, where she established Chicago’s first Intensive Outpatient Program for eating disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety. Under her leadership, Insight expanded to multiple sites and developed the city’s first residential treatment center for eating disorders. Following Insight’s partnership with Eating Recovery Center, she served in senior clinical leadership roles at ERC and Pathlight, including Chief Clinical Officer and Senior Clinical Advisor, contributing to program development, clinical standards, and research initiatives.

Dr. McClanahan is on the faculty at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry, where she teaches, supervises, and mentors graduate students and early-career clinicians. Her clinical and professional interests include higher-weight eating disorders, integrating psychological care within obesity medicine, weight stigma in healthcare settings, and implementing evidence-based practices across multidisciplinary teams.

At SpringSource: Eating, Weight & Mood Disorders, Dr. McClanahan focuses on advancing weight-inclusive, psychologically informed care and strengthening collaboration between medical and behavioral health providers to improve patient outcomes.

6:00pm Networking and Cocktails

7:00pm Presentation and Dinner

The event is open for registration by current IOS Members.

If you need to join or renew your membership, please visit our website:

Registration/Membership (illinoisobesitysociety.org)

Contact the host of IOS May Dinner with Susan McClanahan, PhD