Join in our Post-Lobby Day Letter Writing Campaign!!

Tired of . . .
insurance companies refusing to cover your treatment?


doctors being clueless about the seriousness of your eating disorder?

teachers and coaches at school not knowing how to respond to you as you suffer from the despair of an eating disorder?

watching your daughter, son, mother, or sister struggle with an eating disorder and not be able to help?

Help us pass the FREED Act, which will change all this.

The Eating Disorder Coalition needs you!


Be part of our Letter Writing Campaign with the goal of 1000 letters to Congress!

To continue the enthusiastic advocacy generated during the Eating Disorders Coalition's biggest Lobby Day ever, we are launching our biggest Letter Writing Campaign with the goal of encouraging 1000 of you to use your voice and write a letter to Congress!

In April, Senators Harkin, Klobuchar and Franken introduced the Senate version of the FREED Act. Now that we have both a House and Senate version of the FREED Act, the time is ripe for gaining support for the bill in both chambers and your letter can help us do that! The more support we have for the bill the more likely we can achieve our goal of passing the FREED Act!

Your participation in our letter writing campaign is vital to making this happen. To take part in this simple, yet very powerful and effective opportunity, simply follow the instructions below and then encourage your friends and family to do the same. Remember: we have had Members of Congress sign onto the FREED Act because of receiving one letter from one constituent! Your letters will make a difference!


Below are step-by-step instructions for contacting both your Representative and Senators, including a separate sample letter for the House and Senate. You can use the sample letters below verbatim or tailor your letter so that it speaks from your heart, and from your specific connection to Eating Disorders (i.e., I’m a treatment provider, a mom, a friend of someone suffering, etc…). While we encourage you to share why the FREED Act is important to you specifically, we also ask that you stay consistent in the message provided in the sample letter. Your letter should be no longer than one page in length (about 5 paragraphs).


Thank you in advance for your participation in and support of our goal to have 1000 voices represented! We can pass the FREED Act with your voice, passion, and commitment.


...from Capitol Hill,
Jeanine Cogan, Ph.D., Policy Director, Eating Disorders Coalition
Kathleen MacDonald, Policy Assistant, Eating Disorders Coalition






FOR: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HERE'S HOW

* First: Find Out, "Who Is My Representative?"



Use the link below to find your Representative's contact information:

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

* Second: Find Out, “Is My Representative Already a Sponsor of the FREED Act?”

Before you send a letter, FIRST please check to see if your Representative is already signed on to the FREED Act (HR 1193) as a co-sponsor! As of May 21, 2010 we have 36 co-sponsors (listed below). If your Representative is already signed onto FREED, you are encouraged to write a “Thank You” letter. In your thank you letter you can request that your Representative encourage his colleagues sign onto FREED.


COSPONSORS(36), ALPHABETICAL:



Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 6/11/2009
Rep Boucher, Rick [VA-9] - 5/11/2010
Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] - 2/26/2009
Rep Capps, Lois [CA-23] - 6/9/2009
Rep Carnahan, Russ [MO-3] - 5/12/2009
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] - 10/8/2009
Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] - 7/22/2009
Rep Connolly, Gerald E. "Gerry" [VA-11] - 4/29/2009
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] - 5/21/2009
Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] - 2/25/2009
Rep DeGette, Diana [CO-1] - 5/5/2009
Rep Edwards, Donna F. [MD-4] - 5/11/2010
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 9/25/2009
Rep Emerson, Jo Ann [MO-8] - 4/2/2009
Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] - 9/8/2009
Rep Gerlach, Jim [PA-6] - 12/9/2009
Rep Gordon, Bart [TN-6] - 6/3/2009
Rep Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23] - 9/14/2009
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] - 4/28/2010
Rep Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [GA-4] - 5/4/2010
Rep Klein, Ron [FL-22] - 5/11/2010
Rep LaTourette, Steven C. [OH-14] - 4/30/2009
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] - 9/25/2009
Rep Markey, Betsy [CO-4] - 4/28/2010
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 6/3/2009
Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] - 4/21/2009
Rep Nadler, Jerrold [NY-8] - 12/7/2009
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-38] - 6/9/2009
Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] - 5/20/2009
Rep Polis, Jared [CO-2] - 5/20/2010
Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] - 4/30/2009
Rep Schauer, Mark H. [MI-7] - 10/14/2009
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] - 5/20/2010
Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] - 10/7/2009
Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] - 3/9/2009
Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] - 4/28/2010




***for the most up-to-date list of cosponsors please visit: www.thomas.gov

and enter bill number HR 1193***

* THIRD: Find Out, "To Whom Do I Send My Letter?"



Use the contact information posted on your Representative’s website. Most offices allow you to email your letter directly from their website via a “webiform”. Simply paste your adapted letter and send.



* FOURTH: Please Send a Copy of Your Letter To: policyassistantEDC@yahoo.com



SAMPLE LETTER:
Your Name

Street Address

City, State, Zip

Your telephone number and email address



Date



The Honorable First Name Last Name (Your Representative)

Address of Office (ie: 104 Longworth House Office Building)
United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515



Dear Congressman/Congresswoman____________ (last name in the blank) *** Make sure to address your letter appropriately by writing it to either Congresswoman or Congressman depending on who she or he is***

As a constituent of your district who has personally been impacted by eating disorders, I am writing today to ask you to cosponsor the Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act, (the FREED Act, H.R. 1193). The FREED Act is the first comprehensive bill in the history of Congress to address eating disorders. The FREED Act focuses on research, treatment, education and prevention of eating disorders and serves as a beacon of hope for the millions of people in our country currently suffering from binge eating disorder, anorexia, bulimia, and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS).

Estimates suggest that more than 11 million Americans suffer from eating disorders. Eating disorders affect every single system of the body and are associated with serious medical complications including cardiac arrhythmia, cognitive impairment, osteoporosis, infertility, heart failure and death. In fact, left untreated anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate of all mental disorders, upwards of 20%. However, when a person suffering from anorexia receives proper treatment, the death rate falls to between 2-3%.

Research demonstrates that eating disorders CAN be successfully overcome when early detection and adequate and appropriate treatment take place. Unfortunately, at this point in time, eating disorders are all too often undiagnosed or completely misdiagnosed by health professionals, and access to treatment is limited. Less than 1/2 of all people with eating disorders receive the treatment they both need and deserve.

The FREED Act will save lives by providing for better access to proper treatment, research dollars to understand the etiology and effective treatment of eating disorders, grant programs to ensure more medical health professionals and school personnel be trained on eating disorders prevention and treatment, as well as PSA's to broaden awareness of eating disorders.

Currently the FREED Act has bipartisan support with 36 cosponsors. I ask that you sign on today as a cosponsor of the FREED Act (HR 1193) as this bill has the ability to save thousands of lives. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Warm regards,

First and Last Name



FOR: SENATE HERE'S HOW

* First: Find Out, "Who Are My Senators?"



Use the link below to find your Senators’ contact information:

http://www.senate.gov/ --in the upper right hand corner of the page you will see an option, “find your Senators” –use the drop-down arrow to locate your State and then click on that to bring up your Senators’ contact information.

* Second: Find Out, “Is My Senator Already a Sponsor of the FREED Act?”

Before you send a letter, FIRST please check to see if your Senator is already signed on to the FREED Act (S 3260) as a co-sponsor! As of May 21, 2010 we have 3 co-sponsors (listed below). If your Senator is already signed onto FREED, you are encouraged to write a “Thank You” letter. In your thank you letter you can request that your Senator encourage his colleagues sign onto FREED.


Sen Franken, Al [MN] - 4/26/2010
Sen Klobuchar, Amy [MN] - 4/26/2010
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 4/29/2010

***for the most up-to-date list of cosponsors please visit: www.thomas.gov

and enter bill number S 3260***

* THIRD: Find Out, "To Whom Do I Send My Letter?"



Use the contact information posted on your Senator’s website. Most offices allow you to email your letter directly from their website via a “webiform”. Simply paste your adapted letter and send.



* FOURTH: Please Send a Copy of Your Letter To: policyassistantEDC@yahoo.com



SAMPLE LETTER:
Your Name

Street Address

City, State, Zip

Your telephone number and email address



Date



The Honorable First Name Last Name (Your Representative)

Address of Office (ie: 104 Hart Senate House Office Building)
United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510



Dear Senator____________ (last name in the blank),

As a constituent of your district who has personally been impacted by eating disorders, I am writing today to ask you to cosponsor the Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act, (the FREED Act, S 3260). The FREED Act is the first comprehensive bill in the history of Congress to address eating disorders. The FREED Act focuses on research, treatment, education and prevention of eating disorders and serves as a beacon of hope for the millions of people in our country currently suffering from binge eating disorder, anorexia, bulimia, and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS).

Estimates suggest that more than 11 million Americans suffer from eating disorders. Eating disorders affect every single system of the body and are associated with serious medical complications including cardiac arrhythmia, cognitive impairment, osteoporosis, infertility, heart failure and death. In fact, left untreated anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate of all mental disorders, upwards of 20%. However, when a person suffering from anorexia receives proper treatment, the death rate falls to between 2-3%.

Research demonstrates that eating disorders CAN be successfully overcome when early detection and adequate and appropriate treatment take place. Unfortunately, at this point in time, eating disorders are all too often undiagnosed or completely misdiagnosed by health professionals, and access to treatment is limited. Less than 1/2 of all people with eating disorders receive the treatment they both need and deserve.

The FREED Act will save lives by providing for better access to proper treatment, research dollars to understand the etiology and effective treatment of eating disorders, grant programs to ensure more medical health professionals and school personnel be trained on eating disorders prevention and treatment, as well as PSA's to broaden awareness of eating disorders.

The FREED Act was introduced on April 26, 2010 by Senator Harkin. I ask that you sign on today as a cosponsor of the FREED Act (S 3260) as this bill has the ability to save thousands of lives. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Warm regards,

First and Last Name