SENATE COMMITTEE URGES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TO STUDY INCIDENCE OF EATING DISORDERS

April 2006 - The United States Senate is urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study the number of Americans suffering from eating disorders. Advocates say this is a first.

“It’s hard to call attention to a problem if the government has never counted the number of people with the condition,” says Sam Menaged, president of the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action (EDC). “For the first time, the federal government is being asked by Congress to study how widespread and detrimental the problem really is.”

The EDC claims that approximately 10 million Americans suffer from eating disorders. Ninety percent of cases appear in women and girls. By comparison, the American Cancer Society estimates 212,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States in 2006, and 40,000 deaths. The society also estimates that there are currently 2 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

“How many deaths will occur from eating disorders with 10 million Americans suffering from the disease?” Menaged asks.

For six years the EDC has knocked on doors in Congress, encouraging members to address the problem of inaccurate reporting of deaths resulting from an eating disorder. At a congressional briefing in 2000 sponsored by the EDC, parents of Andrea Smeltzer described how the coroner listed their daughter’s cause of death as heart failure. There was no mention of the bulimia she had been suffering from for years.

Without precise reporting, there is no accurate data on the numbers of people who are dying from complications due to eating disorders. "While several studies suggest the number is quite high we need the federal government to support this issue,” says Jeanine Cogan, policy director of the EDC. “The EDC is thrilled that our efforts paid off and that the Senate passed this."

The request came in a Senate report that accompanied the 2006 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS):

“The Committee (on Appropriations) is concerned about the growing incidence and health consequences of eating disorders among the population. The extent of the problem, while estimated by several long-term outcome studies as being high remains unknown. The Committee urges the CDC to research the incidence and morbidity and mortality rates of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorders not otherwise specified across age, race, and sex.”

For several years, the EDC has urged the federal government to conduct such a study.

The Senate committee also requested that the Office on Women’s Health in the DHHS expand a successful eating disorders prevention program from the current middle school curriculum to a new project that targets all levels of education, from elementary to high school.

“Finally, the federal government is beginning to take this seriously,” Menaged says. “Eating disorders have devastated and taken the lives of too many people. This is a turning point in how the nation deals with a serious and sometimes deadly mental illness.”

The Eating Disorders Coalition works in Washington, D.C., on behalf of researchers, therapists, prevention experts, and those personally affected by an eating disorder. The EDC mission is to advance the federal recognition of eating disorders as a public health priority.

###

TAKE ACTION
Call, write, or e-mail to thank both of your U.S. Senators. Tell them you care about eating disorders, and ask to be kept informed about their support of eating disorder issues. Find your Senators online at www.senate.gov.

LEARN MORE
The current BodyWise Handbook for middle school personnel is available online at http://www.4woman.gov/BodyImage/bodywise.cfm

Meeting with Your U.S. Representative or U.S. Senator?
Keep EDC in the Loop!

Whether your organization is a dues-paying member of the Eating Disorders Coalition or you're an individual member of the Family & Friends Action Council, keep the EDC informed when meeting or speaking with your members of Congress.

The EDC encourages you to reach out to your elected officials and to become a resource person in your state or Congressional district. You can offer elected officials objective information as well as your personal expertise. We hope that you will attend their town hall meetings and call in when your representatives are on local radio programs.

Contact the EDC in advance of your meeting or phone call in order for us to suggest talking points that you might use. Afterward, let us know how the meeting or phone call went, what promises were made, or what actions were taken.

Every week, EDC staff and volunteers communicate with members of Congress, health experts at the Capitol, and federal officials. By keeping each other informed, everyone wins. U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators are here on Capitol Hill to serve YOU.

Call the EDC at 202-543-9570, Monday-Friday. If leaving a message, please be brief. Include your name, your state, your phone number, the member of Congress you are talking with. Also, please call us only regarding U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators.

Wish List

Your Friends and Family: We're always on the lookout for more supporters! Forward this e-mail to people you know who care about eating disorders and advocacy in Washington, D.C. Encourage them to click the link to JOIN OUR LIST.

Notebook Computer: The EDC needs a second notebook computer for our Capitol Hill office. New or used, the computer must run Windows XP and have a USB port and CD reader. We would prefer a Pentium 4 CPU, 2.40GHz and 512 RAM.

Graphic Design: Would you like to donate a design for the EDC? Throughout the year, the EDC needs items prepared for printing. If you are a designer familiar with Quark, PageMaker, or other desktop publishing programs and would like to donate your skills for a brochure, booklet, or report, let us know! Call the EDC at 202-543-9570.

Printing: Do you or someone you know own a print shop? If so, consider donating a print run for an EDC publication. We have a variety of needs. Call the EDC at 202-543-9570.