In response to Mrs. Obama's campaign to address childhood obesity, the EDC has collaborated with a number of organizations urging her to reframe the conversation and focus on children's overall health rather than weight. In that vein the EDC is working with a Member of Congress who is writing a sign-on letter urging Mrs. Obama to do the same.
On March 19th, NEDA launched an action alert that included a link to submit comments on Mrs. Obama's Obesity Initiative. The EDC highly encourages you to join in!
Below is the information for NEDA's action alert, which supplies you with the link to the webpage where you can submit your comments. The EDC encourages you to submit your brief comments using our sample comments and talking points as a guide.
link to submit comments:
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480abe53d
Sample Comments and Talking Points are below for your convenience.
Sample Comments:
To Whom It May Concern: As someone whose life has been directly impacted by weight and body image issues, I submit the following comments regarding Mrs. Obama’s Obesity Initiative. I applaud The First Lady’s intention to increase the overall health of our nation’s children, yet I am deeply concerned that the currently proposed initiative might also do harm by inadvertently causing eating and body image disorders.
I urge that as The First Lady works to address obesity amongst children, she also address the equally troubling issues of hazardous weight loss strategies and eating disorders that ravage the lives of millions of our nation’s youth. I have [included in my comments or attached] Talking Points developed by several eating disorder organizations in response to the First Lady’s Obesity Initiative. I urge you to consider these Talking Points as you revise the currently proposed Obesity Initiative. Thank you for your time. I welcome hearing from you.
Sincerely, ____(your name here)______________
Talking Points:
RESPONSE TO WHITE HOUSE OBESITY PREVENTION INITIATIVE
Goal:
Promote healthy lifestyle habits in all children through an initiative that focuses on environment and behavior, while reducing weight stigma and stereotyping.
Background:
Several organizations join forces to urge that the White House Childhood Obesity Prevention initiative to move away from an emphasis on weight and to focus on a broader definition of children and adolescents’ health. These organizations represent thousands of clinicians, researchers, educators and others concerned with the impact of eating disorders on children, adolescents and adults. They include: The Academy for Eating Disorders, the Binge Eating Disorder Association, the Eating Disorder Coalition, the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals, F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders), and NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association).
Rationale:
We favor efforts to promote healthy lifestyle habits in children and adolescents and applaud these White House objectives, announced Feb. 9 by First Lady Michelle Obama. However, the current version of this initiative neglects a critical aspect of our children’s environments, namely the social environment that includes harmful weight bias and stigma. We strongly urge the initiative’s programming to emphasize behavior rather than weight. We recommend that the White House initiative follow the guidelines developed by the Academy for Eating Disorders. The following points are based on the latest scientific evidence and best clinical practices:
Interventions should be health-centered, not weight-focused, as weight is not a behavior and therefore not an appropriate target for behavior modification. Children and adolescents across the weight spectrum will benefit from a healthier diet, and more opportunities for physical activity. Therefore, interventions should be weight-neutral, i.e. aim to increase healthy living at any size rather than promoting specific goals for weight change.
Prospective studies show that body dissatisfaction and weight-related teasing are associated with binge eating and other eating disordered behaviors, lower levels of physical activity, and increased weight gain over time. Therefore, constructing a social environment where all children and adolescents are supported in feeling good about their bodies is essential to promoting health in youth.
Programs should be careful not to use language that has implicit or explicit stigmatizing anti-fat messages, like “fat is bad,” “fat children and adolescents are not healthy,” or “fat people eat too much.” Interventions should focus not only on providing opportunities for appropriate levels of physical activity and healthy eating, but also promote self-esteem, body satisfaction, and respect for body size diversity.
There is ample scientific evidence that an environment focusing on weight and thinness is a risk factor for eating disorders. Moreover, a reliance on BMI as a proxy for health leads to many “false positive” assumptions of illness in healthy heavier children and adolescents, and many overlooked problems of disordered eating and harmful weight loss practices in average-weight children and adolescents.
The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Consistent with this definition, interventions aimed at addressing weight concerns should be constructed from a holistic perspective, where equal consideration is given to social, emotional and physical aspects of children and adolescents’ health.
Requests:
We ask that all aspects of the initiative consistently reference the importance of health for all rather than being framed around weight.
We urge consideration of the social environment, including the elimination of weight stigma and stereotyping, and eating disorder prevention, be a central part of the “Let’s Move” initiative.
We ask that information about eating disorders and how to prevent them are included on LetsMove.gov. You can link to Office of Women’s Health eating disorders campaign athttp://www.womenshealth.gov/archive/bodyimage/kids/bodywise/.
We ask that eating disorders organizations and human rights organizations representing the citizens most at risk for harm from weight stigma be included in the ongoing design and implementation of “Let’s Move.”
__________________________________________________________
NEDA's Action Alert:
Dear Friends of NEDA,
Michelle Obama has announced that combating childhood obesity will be one of her primary missions as First Lady. As such, she has established a task force comprised of representatives from numerous government agencies. This task force has 90 days to make recommendations on the following goals:
(a) ensuring access to healthy, affordable food;
(b) increasing physical activity in schools and communities;
(c) providing healthier food in schools; and
(d) empowering parents with information and tools to make good choices for themselves and their families
The task force is seeking feedback from the community to assist them in this significant endeavor. This is our chance to ensure that eating disorders are heard! They are accepting public comments.
NEDA urges you to write to the task force today to educate them about the dangers of misinformed obesity prevention, to encourage programs that promote healthy behaviors and body satisfaction, and which incorporate the emotional aspects of eating and body image.
Click here for facts about the need for eating disorder informed obesity interventions. Click here for the Academy for Eating Disorders Guidelines for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs. Click here for an article written by expert, Kathy Kater, on the dangers of misinformed "obesity prevention." These resources may be helpful to augment your comments.
To submit your comments to the task force, and for more information about the obesity initiative, please visithttp://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480abe53d
Please contact info@myneda.org and let us know you submitted a comment!
Let’s make a difference! Act today to change the future!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Have you sent your comments to Mrs.Obama yet?
In response to Mrs. Obama's campaign to address childhood obesity, the EDC has collaborated with a number of organizations urging her to reframe the conversation and focus on children's overall health rather than weight. In that vein the EDC is working with a Member of Congress who is writing a sign-on letter urging Mrs. Obama to do the same.
On March 19th, NEDA launched an action alert that included a link to submit comments on Mrs. Obama's Obesity Initiative. The EDC highly encourages you to join in!
Below is the information for NEDA's action alert, which supplies you with the link to the webpage where you can submit your comments. The EDC encourages you to submit your brief comments using our sample comments and talking points as a guide.
The Sample Comments and Talking Points are below for your convenience.
Sample Comments:
To Whom It May Concern: As someone whose life has been directly impacted by weight and body image issues, I submit the following comments regarding Mrs. Obama’s Obesity Initiative. I applaud The First Lady’s intention to increase the overall health of our nation’s children, yet I am deeply concerned that the currently proposed initiative might also do harm by inadvertently causing eating and body image disorders.
I urge that as The First Lady works to address obesity amongst children, she also address the equally troubling issues of hazardous weight loss strategies and eating disorders that ravage the lives of millions of our nation’s youth. I have [included in my comments or attached] Talking Points developed by several eating disorder organizations in response to the First Lady’s Obesity Initiative. I urge you to consider these Talking Points as you revise the currently proposed Obesity Initiative. Thank you for your time. I welcome hearing from you.
Sincerely, ____(your name here)______________
Talking Points:
RESPONSE TO WHITE HOUSE OBESITY PREVENTION INITIATIVE
Goal:
Promote healthy lifestyle habits in all children through an initiative that focuses on environment and behavior, while reducing weight stigma and stereotyping.
Background:
Several organizations join forces to urge that the White House Childhood Obesity Prevention initiative to move away from an emphasis on weight and to focus on a broader definition of children and adolescents’ health. These organizations represent thousands of clinicians, researchers, educators and others concerned with the impact of eating disorders on children, adolescents and adults. They include: The Academy for Eating Disorders, the Binge Eating Disorder Association, the Eating Disorder Coalition, the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals, F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders), and NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association).
Rationale:
We favor efforts to promote healthy lifestyle habits in children and adolescents and applaud these White House objectives, announced Feb. 9 by First Lady Michelle Obama. However, the current version of this initiative neglects a critical aspect of our children’s environments, namely the social environment that includes harmful weight bias and stigma. We strongly urge the initiative’s programming to emphasize behavior rather than weight. We recommend that the White House initiative follow the guidelines developed by the Academy for Eating Disorders. The following points are based on the latest scientific evidence and best clinical practices:
Interventions should be health-centered, not weight-focused, as weight is not a behavior and therefore not an appropriate target for behavior modification. Children and adolescents across the weight spectrum will benefit from a healthier diet, and more opportunities for physical activity. Therefore, interventions should be weight-neutral, i.e. aim to increase healthy living at any size rather than promoting specific goals for weight change.
Prospective studies show that body dissatisfaction and weight-related teasing are associated with binge eating and other eating disordered behaviors, lower levels of physical activity, and increased weight gain over time. Therefore, constructing a social environment where all children and adolescents are supported in feeling good about their bodies is essential to promoting health in youth.
Programs should be careful not to use language that has implicit or explicit stigmatizing anti-fat messages, like “fat is bad,” “fat children and adolescents are not healthy,” or “fat people eat too much.” Interventions should focus not only on providing opportunities for appropriate levels of physical activity and healthy eating, but also promote self-esteem, body satisfaction, and respect for body size diversity.
(cont. below)
There is ample scientific evidence that an environment focusing on weight and thinness is a risk factor for eating disorders. Moreover, a reliance on BMI as a proxy for health leads to many “false positive” assumptions of illness in healthy heavier children and adolescents, and many overlooked problems of disordered eating and harmful weight loss practices in average-weight children and adolescents.
The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Consistent with this definition, interventions aimed at addressing weight concerns should be constructed from a holistic perspective, where equal consideration is given to social, emotional and physical aspects of children and adolescents’ health.
Requests
We ask that all aspects of the initiative consistently reference the importance of health for all rather than being framed around weight.
We urge consideration of the social environment, including the elimination of weight stigma and stereotyping, and eating disorder prevention, be a central part of the “Let’s Move” initiative.
We ask that information about eating disorders and how to prevent them are included onLetsMove.gov. You can link to Office of Women’s Health eating disorders campaign athttp://www.womenshealth.gov/archive/bodyimage/kids/bodywise/.
We ask that eating disorders organizations and human rights organizations representing the citizens most at risk for harm from weight stigma be included in the ongoing design and implementation of “Let’s Move.”
NEDA's Action Alert:
Dear Friends of NEDA,
Michelle Obama has announced that combating childhood obesity will be one of her primary missions as First Lady. As such, she has established a task force comprised of representatives from numerous government agencies. This task force has 90 days to make recommendations on the following goals:
(a) ensuring access to healthy, affordable food;
(b) increasing physical activity in schools and communities;
(c) providing healthier food in schools; and
(d) empowering parents with information and tools to make good choices for themselves and their families
The task force is seeking feedback from the community to assist them in this significant endeavor. This is our chance to ensure that eating disorders are heard! They are accepting public comments.
NEDA urges you to write to the task force today to educate them about the dangers of misinformed obesity prevention, to encourage programs that promote healthy behaviors and body satisfaction, and which incorporate the emotional aspects of eating and body image.
Click here for facts about the need for eating disorder informed obesity interventions. Click here for the Academy for Eating Disorders Guidelines for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs. Click here for an article written by expert, Kathy Kater, on the dangers of misinformed "obesity prevention." These resources may be helpful to augment your comments.
To submit your comments to the task force, and for more information about the obesity initiative, please visithttp://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480abe53d
Please contact info@myneda.org and let us know you submitted a comment!
Let’s make a difference! Act today to change the future!
On March 19th, NEDA launched an action alert that included a link to submit comments on Mrs. Obama's Obesity Initiative. The EDC highly encourages you to join in!
Below is the information for NEDA's action alert, which supplies you with the link to the webpage where you can submit your comments. The EDC encourages you to submit your brief comments using our sample comments and talking points as a guide.
The Sample Comments and Talking Points are below for your convenience.
Sample Comments:
To Whom It May Concern: As someone whose life has been directly impacted by weight and body image issues, I submit the following comments regarding Mrs. Obama’s Obesity Initiative. I applaud The First Lady’s intention to increase the overall health of our nation’s children, yet I am deeply concerned that the currently proposed initiative might also do harm by inadvertently causing eating and body image disorders.
I urge that as The First Lady works to address obesity amongst children, she also address the equally troubling issues of hazardous weight loss strategies and eating disorders that ravage the lives of millions of our nation’s youth. I have [included in my comments or attached] Talking Points developed by several eating disorder organizations in response to the First Lady’s Obesity Initiative. I urge you to consider these Talking Points as you revise the currently proposed Obesity Initiative. Thank you for your time. I welcome hearing from you.
Sincerely, ____(your name here)______________
Talking Points:
RESPONSE TO WHITE HOUSE OBESITY PREVENTION INITIATIVE
Goal:
Promote healthy lifestyle habits in all children through an initiative that focuses on environment and behavior, while reducing weight stigma and stereotyping.
Background:
Several organizations join forces to urge that the White House Childhood Obesity Prevention initiative to move away from an emphasis on weight and to focus on a broader definition of children and adolescents’ health. These organizations represent thousands of clinicians, researchers, educators and others concerned with the impact of eating disorders on children, adolescents and adults. They include: The Academy for Eating Disorders, the Binge Eating Disorder Association, the Eating Disorder Coalition, the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals, F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders), and NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association).
Rationale:
We favor efforts to promote healthy lifestyle habits in children and adolescents and applaud these White House objectives, announced Feb. 9 by First Lady Michelle Obama. However, the current version of this initiative neglects a critical aspect of our children’s environments, namely the social environment that includes harmful weight bias and stigma. We strongly urge the initiative’s programming to emphasize behavior rather than weight. We recommend that the White House initiative follow the guidelines developed by the Academy for Eating Disorders. The following points are based on the latest scientific evidence and best clinical practices:
Interventions should be health-centered, not weight-focused, as weight is not a behavior and therefore not an appropriate target for behavior modification. Children and adolescents across the weight spectrum will benefit from a healthier diet, and more opportunities for physical activity. Therefore, interventions should be weight-neutral, i.e. aim to increase healthy living at any size rather than promoting specific goals for weight change.
Prospective studies show that body dissatisfaction and weight-related teasing are associated with binge eating and other eating disordered behaviors, lower levels of physical activity, and increased weight gain over time. Therefore, constructing a social environment where all children and adolescents are supported in feeling good about their bodies is essential to promoting health in youth.
Programs should be careful not to use language that has implicit or explicit stigmatizing anti-fat messages, like “fat is bad,” “fat children and adolescents are not healthy,” or “fat people eat too much.” Interventions should focus not only on providing opportunities for appropriate levels of physical activity and healthy eating, but also promote self-esteem, body satisfaction, and respect for body size diversity.
(cont. below)
There is ample scientific evidence that an environment focusing on weight and thinness is a risk factor for eating disorders. Moreover, a reliance on BMI as a proxy for health leads to many “false positive” assumptions of illness in healthy heavier children and adolescents, and many overlooked problems of disordered eating and harmful weight loss practices in average-weight children and adolescents.
The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Consistent with this definition, interventions aimed at addressing weight concerns should be constructed from a holistic perspective, where equal consideration is given to social, emotional and physical aspects of children and adolescents’ health.
Requests
We ask that all aspects of the initiative consistently reference the importance of health for all rather than being framed around weight.
We urge consideration of the social environment, including the elimination of weight stigma and stereotyping, and eating disorder prevention, be a central part of the “Let’s Move” initiative.
We ask that information about eating disorders and how to prevent them are included onLetsMove.gov. You can link to Office of Women’s Health eating disorders campaign athttp://www.womenshealth.gov/archive/bodyimage/kids/bodywise/.
We ask that eating disorders organizations and human rights organizations representing the citizens most at risk for harm from weight stigma be included in the ongoing design and implementation of “Let’s Move.”
NEDA's Action Alert:
Dear Friends of NEDA,
Michelle Obama has announced that combating childhood obesity will be one of her primary missions as First Lady. As such, she has established a task force comprised of representatives from numerous government agencies. This task force has 90 days to make recommendations on the following goals:
(a) ensuring access to healthy, affordable food;
(b) increasing physical activity in schools and communities;
(c) providing healthier food in schools; and
(d) empowering parents with information and tools to make good choices for themselves and their families
The task force is seeking feedback from the community to assist them in this significant endeavor. This is our chance to ensure that eating disorders are heard! They are accepting public comments.
NEDA urges you to write to the task force today to educate them about the dangers of misinformed obesity prevention, to encourage programs that promote healthy behaviors and body satisfaction, and which incorporate the emotional aspects of eating and body image.
Click here for facts about the need for eating disorder informed obesity interventions. Click here for the Academy for Eating Disorders Guidelines for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs. Click here for an article written by expert, Kathy Kater, on the dangers of misinformed "obesity prevention." These resources may be helpful to augment your comments.
To submit your comments to the task force, and for more information about the obesity initiative, please visithttp://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480abe53d
Please contact info@myneda.org and let us know you submitted a comment!
Let’s make a difference! Act today to change the future!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Health Care Reform
Health Care Reform passed on Sunday, March 21, 2010 and is now going to the President for his signature.
The following provisions were included in H.R. 3590 that will
help millions of children and adults with mental disorders.
* Health insurance market reforms that prohibit pre-existing
conditions exclusions and annual or lifetime limits, provide guaranteed
issue and renewal requirements, and allow dependent young adults to
remain on parental coverage to age 26;
* Essential plan benefits that include mandatory mental health,
substance use, rehabilitation, habilitation, prescription drug and
preventive services;
* Mental health and substance use parity requirement for exchange
plans;
* Within the private health care system, integrating mental
health into primary care with the establishment of interprofessional,
interdisciplinary health teams to support primary care practices;
* Medicaid eligibility extension to individuals up to 133% of the
federal poverty level, including childless single adults;
* Chronic care coordination fostered through a Medicaid state plan
option allowing beneficiaries with one or more chronic conditions or
serious mental illnesses to designate a health home, and permitting the
designation of a community mental health center as an eligible health
home;
* Children's Health Insurance Program maintenance through 2019,
with states continuing to provide services or offering a providing a
procedure to provide for coverage through the exchange;
* Long-term services coverage through the new Community Living
Assistance Services and Supports national insurance program and
Community First Choice Medicaid Option to help individuals with
disabilities receive essential care at home or in the community;
* Workforce development through mental health and behavioral
health education and training grants to assist providers specializing in
and providing services to children, adolescents and adults and loan
forgiveness to child mental health professionals;
* Prevention and wellness services through community
transformation grants and enhanced services for special populations,
including people with disabilities; ensuring that the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration is consulted on the
development of strategies pertaining to behavioral health and directing
the Clinical Preventive Services Task Force to consider best practices
presented by scientific societies in the development of clinical
preventive recommendations;
* Strengthening Medicare through an extension restoring
reimbursement cuts for psychotherapy services within the outpatient
mental health benefit and requiring Part D plans to provide full
coverage of six classes of clinically sensitive medications, including
anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and anti-convulsants;
help millions of children and adults with mental disorders.
* Health insurance market reforms that prohibit pre-existing
conditions exclusions and annual or lifetime limits, provide guaranteed
issue and renewal requirements, and allow dependent young adults to
remain on parental coverage to age 26;
* Essential plan benefits that include mandatory mental health,
substance use, rehabilitation, habilitation, prescription drug and
preventive services;
* Mental health and substance use parity requirement for exchange
plans;
* Within the private health care system, integrating mental
health into primary care with the establishment of interprofessional,
interdisciplinary health teams to support primary care practices;
* Medicaid eligibility extension to individuals up to 133% of the
federal poverty level, including childless single adults;
* Chronic care coordination fostered through a Medicaid state plan
option allowing beneficiaries with one or more chronic conditions or
serious mental illnesses to designate a health home, and permitting the
designation of a community mental health center as an eligible health
home;
* Children's Health Insurance Program maintenance through 2019,
with states continuing to provide services or offering a providing a
procedure to provide for coverage through the exchange;
* Long-term services coverage through the new Community Living
Assistance Services and Supports national insurance program and
Community First Choice Medicaid Option to help individuals with
disabilities receive essential care at home or in the community;
* Workforce development through mental health and behavioral
health education and training grants to assist providers specializing in
and providing services to children, adolescents and adults and loan
forgiveness to child mental health professionals;
* Prevention and wellness services through community
transformation grants and enhanced services for special populations,
including people with disabilities; ensuring that the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration is consulted on the
development of strategies pertaining to behavioral health and directing
the Clinical Preventive Services Task Force to consider best practices
presented by scientific societies in the development of clinical
preventive recommendations;
* Strengthening Medicare through an extension restoring
reimbursement cuts for psychotherapy services within the outpatient
mental health benefit and requiring Part D plans to provide full
coverage of six classes of clinically sensitive medications, including
anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and anti-convulsants;
Jeanine Cogan, Ph.D., Policy Director
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Talk to Mrs.Obama about her Obesity Initiative
In response to Mrs. Obama's campaign to address childhood obesity, the EDC has collaborated with a number of organizations urging her to reframe the conversation and focus on children's overall health rather than weight. In that vein the EDC is working with a Member of Congress who is writing a sign-on letter urging Mrs. Obama to do the same.
On March 19th, NEDA launched an action alert that included a link to submit comments on Mrs. Obama's Obesity Initiative. The EDC highly encourages you to join in!
Below is the information for NEDA's action alert, which supplies you with the link to the webpage where you can submit your comments. The EDC encourages you to submit your brief comments using our sample comments and talking points as a guide.
The Sample Comments and Talking Points are below for your convenience.
Sample Comments:
To Whom It May Concern: As someone whose life has been directly impacted by weight and body image issues, I submit the following comments regarding Mrs. Obama’s Obesity Initiative. I applaud The First Lady’s intention to increase the overall health of our nation’s children, yet I am deeply concerned that the currently proposed initiative might also do harm by inadvertently causing eating and body image disorders.
I urge that as The First Lady works to address obesity amongst children, she also address the equally troubling issues of hazardous weight loss strategies and eating disorders that ravage the lives of millions of our nation’s youth. I have [included in my comments or attached] Talking Points developed by several eating disorder organizations in response to the First Lady’s Obesity Initiative. I urge you to consider these Talking Points as you revise the currently proposed Obesity Initiative. Thank you for your time. I welcome hearing from you.
Sincerely, ____(your name here)______________
Talking Points:
RESPONSE TO WHITE HOUSE OBESITY PREVENTION INITIATIVE
Goal:
Promote healthy lifestyle habits in all children through an initiative that focuses on environment and behavior, while reducing weight stigma and stereotyping.
Background:
Several organizations join forces to urge that the White House Childhood Obesity Prevention initiative to move away from an emphasis on weight and to focus on a broader definition of children and adolescents’ health. These organizations represent thousands of clinicians, researchers, educators and others concerned with the impact of eating disorders on children, adolescents and adults. They include: The Academy for Eating Disorders, the Binge Eating Disorder Association, the Eating Disorder Coalition, the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals, F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders), and NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association).
Rationale:
We favor efforts to promote healthy lifestyle habits in children and adolescents and applaud these White House objectives, announced Feb. 9 by First Lady Michelle Obama. However, the current version of this initiative neglects a critical aspect of our children’s environments, namely the social environment that includes harmful weight bias and stigma. We strongly urge the initiative’s programming to emphasize behavior rather than weight. We recommend that the White House initiative follow the guidelines developed by the Academy for Eating Disorders. The following points are based on the latest scientific evidence and best clinical practices:
Interventions should be health-centered, not weight-focused, as weight is not a behavior and therefore not an appropriate target for behavior modification. Children and adolescents across the weight spectrum will benefit from a healthier diet, and more opportunities for physical activity. Therefore, interventions should be weight-neutral, i.e. aim to increase healthy living at any size rather than promoting specific goals for weight change.
Prospective studies show that body dissatisfaction and weight-related teasing are associated with binge eating and other eating disordered behaviors, lower levels of physical activity, and increased weight gain over time. Therefore, constructing a social environment where all children and adolescents are supported in feeling good about their bodies is essential to promoting health in youth.
Programs should be careful not to use language that has implicit or explicit stigmatizing anti-fat messages, like “fat is bad,” “fat children and adolescents are not healthy,” or “fat people eat too much.” Interventions should focus not only on providing opportunities for appropriate levels of physical activity and healthy eating, but also promote self-esteem, body satisfaction, and respect for body size diversity.
(cont. below)
There is ample scientific evidence that an environment focusing on weight and thinness is a risk factor for eating disorders. Moreover, a reliance on BMI as a proxy for health leads to many “false positive” assumptions of illness in healthy heavier children and adolescents, and many overlooked problems of disordered eating and harmful weight loss practices in average-weight children and adolescents.
The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Consistent with this definition, interventions aimed at addressing weight concerns should be constructed from a holistic perspective, where equal consideration is given to social, emotional and physical aspects of children and adolescents’ health.
Requests
We ask that all aspects of the initiative consistently reference the importance of health for all rather than being framed around weight.
We urge consideration of the social environment, including the elimination of weight stigma and stereotyping, and eating disorder prevention, be a central part of the “Let’s Move” initiative.
We ask that information about eating disorders and how to prevent them are included onLetsMove.gov. You can link to Office of Women’s Health eating disorders campaign athttp://www.womenshealth.gov/archive/bodyimage/kids/bodywise/.
We ask that eating disorders organizations and human rights organizations representing the citizens most at risk for harm from weight stigma be included in the ongoing design and implementation of “Let’s Move.”
| |
NEDA's Action Alert:
Dear Friends of NEDA,
Michelle Obama has announced that combating childhood obesity will be one of her primary missions as First Lady. As such, she has established a task force comprised of representatives from numerous government agencies. This task force has 90 days to make recommendations on the following goals:
(a) ensuring access to healthy, affordable food;
(b) increasing physical activity in schools and communities;
(c) providing healthier food in schools; and
(d) empowering parents with information and tools to make good choices for themselves and their families
The task force is seeking feedback from the community to assist them in this significant endeavor. This is our chance to ensure that eating disorders are heard! They are accepting public comments.
NEDA urges you to write to the task force today to educate them about the dangers of misinformed obesity prevention, to encourage programs that promote healthy behaviors and body satisfaction, and which incorporate the emotional aspects of eating and body image.
Click here for facts about the need for eating disorder informed obesity interventions. Click here for the Academy for Eating Disorders Guidelines for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs. Click here for an article written by expert, Kathy Kater, on the dangers of misinformed "obesity prevention." These resources may be helpful to augment your comments.
To submit your comments to the task force, and for more information about the obesity initiative, please visithttp://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480abe53d
Please contact info@myneda.org and let us know you submitted a comment!
Let’s make a difference! Act today to change the future!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
EDC Board Member Lisa Lilenfeld speaks about Eating Disorders and FREED on Let's Talk Live News Channel 8.
EDC Board Member Lisa Lilenfeld speaks about Eating Disorders and FREED on Let's Talk Live News Channel 8.
Dr. Lilenfeld was joined by Chevese Turner, EDC Member and President of BEDA.
See the below video of the segment from Let's Talk Live from Thursday March 18, 2010
If you're having trouble seeing the video visit the Let's Talk Live! website and look for the Thurdsay March 18th videos: http://www.letstalklive.tv/showpage.cfm?a=v
Give the Lotus Love Gem in support of the EDC
Help support the EDC
Give the gift of the Lotus Love Gem
Click the above image to learn more about the Lotus Love Gem
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
ACTION ALERT! time sensitive!!
Action Alert:
Require Better Health Care for People with Mental Illness
| Calls to Your Representative Urgently Needed Now |
The House of Representatives has begun its two step process of finalizing health care reform by nearing a vote of the bill (HR 3590) that the Senate approved in December and then passing a separate bill with "fixes" to the Senate version. By the end of the week, the House is expected to vote on this bill which must occur to advance health care reform.
No mater what your views on the health care debate - this bill offers Americans with mental illnesses some needed reform
Health care reform is vital for millions of Americans with mental disorders, who are uninsured or underinsured. Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15-44, and people with mental illnesses are five times more likely to experience a co-occurring medical condition, such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer. People with eating disorders are at great risk as they have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, upwards of 20%
HR 3590 would address the alarming effects of mental illnesses by:
- Expanding Medicaid eligibility to at least 133% of the poverty level, including single, childless adults.
- Prohibiting exclusions for pre-existing conditions, eliminating lifetime or annual dollar limits and banning rates based on health status, gender or occupation.
- Requiring health plans to include mental health, substance use and rehabilitation services in benefit packages and requiring mental health and substance use parity.
- Fostering integration of mental and physical care through Medicaid medical homes.
- Establishing a national voluntary, long-term care services and support insurance program.
- Requiring the development of a national prevention strategy and authorizing coverage of wellness activities.
ACTION: Calls Needed Now
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- Dial 888-876-6242 to be connected to the Capitol Switchboard and your Representative's office.
- Ask your Representative to vote YES on HR 3590.
- Remind them of the urgent need for affordable, quality health care coverage for people with eating disorders and other mental illnesses and of the adverse consequences that often result when individuals are without, lose or are denied access to needed health care services and supports.
- Thank them if they voted in support of reform in November and ask them to continue to support it (see how your Representative voted).
- If your Member of Congress did not vote in favor of health care reform in November, ask them to reconsider their position for this vote.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
April Lobby Day Wish List!
Dear Advocates and Supporters of the Eating Disorders Coalition,
Lobby Day is fast approaching and we're looking to host one of our most successful ones yet! To do so, we need both your voice and your presence on the Hill!
As in Lobby Days past, we'll be meeting with Members of Congress and their staffers to talk with them about the FREED Act (HR 1193), the Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act. Currently we have bi-partisan support, with the co-sponsorship of 27 Members! This Lobby Day we're hoping to impact the number of cosponsors dramatically, in particular, we're hoping to gain co-sponsorship from Members from certain states. Thus, we created the "EDC Wishlist" --a list of key states from which we are hoping to recruit advocates for April 26-27th! Please take a moment to review our "Wishlist" to see if your state is among those we are targeting!
Here's the link:
http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/advocateWishlist.htm
And of course, we would love to have advocates from EVERY state, so even if your state is not on the Wishlist, please remember to sign up ASAP for Lobby Day by visiting:
http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/LobbyDayApril2010.htm
...and bring a friend or two!!
We look forward to seeing you on the Hill in April!
...Kathleen
Lobby Day is fast approaching and we're looking to host one of our most successful ones yet! To do so, we need both your voice and your presence on the Hill!
As in Lobby Days past, we'll be meeting with Members of Congress and their staffers to talk with them about the FREED Act (HR 1193), the Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act. Currently we have bi-partisan support, with the co-sponsorship of 27 Members! This Lobby Day we're hoping to impact the number of cosponsors dramatically, in particular, we're hoping to gain co-sponsorship from Members from certain states. Thus, we created the "EDC Wishlist" --a list of key states from which we are hoping to recruit advocates for April 26-27th! Please take a moment to review our "Wishlist" to see if your state is among those we are targeting!
Here's the link:
http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/advocateWishlist.htm
And of course, we would love to have advocates from EVERY state, so even if your state is not on the Wishlist, please remember to sign up ASAP for Lobby Day by visiting:
http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/LobbyDayApril2010.htm
...and bring a friend or two!!
We look forward to seeing you on the Hill in April!
...Kathleen
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
"Weighty Matters" Effectively Communicating About Weight and Health
"Weighty Matters"
Effectively Communicating About Weight and Health
Sponsored by
National Eating Disorders Association and STOP Obesity Alliance
Hosted by the NYC Campus of Pace University
April 2, 2010, 8:30am Registration, 9:00 - 11:00am Panel Discussion
One Pace Plaza, New York, NY, Multi-purpose Room on the B Level (enter the building on 3 Spruce Street, between Nassau and Gold Streets)
Open to the general public. Registration is free, space limited.
How should we be talking about weight, size and health?
Are we missing the mark?
Join our impressive panelists, a unique mixture of leaders from the media, communications, eating disorders and obesity fields. Increasing public concern about the rise in obesity has led to societal confusion about what's healthy and has created an unrealistic pressure to be thin. Coming together for the first time, this panel will make recommendations on how to effectively and responsibly communicate the connections between health and weight to the public. This roundtable will also address current perception, dialogue and images in media and entertainment which may be resulting in an increase of body image issues, eating disordered behaviors and obesity.
Pennsylvania Press Conference for SB1138
Senator Daylin Leach, Sam Menaged of The Renfrew Center, a therapist from The Renfrew Center and potentially a patient in recovery will be speaking at this press conference in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. See the below letter from PA State Senator Daylin Leach:
Dear Friend,
I'd like to invite you to a press conference I'm hosting on Monday, March 15th at 11:00 a.m. in the Rotunda of the Main Capitol Building in Harrisburg regarding Senate Bill 1138. SB1138 is a bill I've proposed that would require insurance companies to provide coverage for residential care in the treatment of eating disorders. Anyone who would like to attend to show their support for SB 1138, please feel free to RSVP to Shannon Wells at swells@pasenate.com or call 610-768-4200.
Additionally, if you are able to arrive early, I invite you to attend an informal breakfast reception in my office, 184 Main Capitol beginning at 10:15 a.m. Please don't hesitate to contact my office should you have any questions. Thank you for your support.
Very truly yours,
Daylin
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Mental Health Parity Law - Is It Working?
The American Psychiatric Association has created a website,
www.mentalhealthparitywatch.org, about the 2008 Mental Health Parity Act
(The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction
Equity Act of 2008). The purpose of the site is to educate consumers and
physicians about the Act and to monitor the implementation of this new law.
The Parity Act
The parity legislation and its regulations are complicated. The Act requires
that any group health plan that covers more than 50 employees and offers
mental health and/or substance use disorders coverage must provide that
coverage with no greater financial requirements (i.e., co-pays, deductibles,
annual or life-time dollar limits) or treatment limitations (i.e., number of
visits) than the predominant requirements that it applies to substantially
all medical/surgical benefits.
Monitoring Implementation - Your Input Can Help
You and your members are encouraged to go to the site to learn more about
the Parity Act and state parity laws and to report concerns and questions
about how an insurance plan may be interpreting the law.
Please spread the word about the website. The more people who understand
parity and the more reports received, the better.
The only way we can know if the law is being implemented correctly is if we
hear from patients and their physicians about problems or concerns they may
have about a health plan's mental health coverage given the Parity Act's
requirements. Your reports will help us identify areas of concern that will
be passed along to federal regulators.
The Website
The American Psychiatric Association's (APA's) new website has information
on:
* What is involved in filing an insurance claim when benefits have
been denied
* Where to file a complaint
* When an external review is warranted
* What it means to file an ERISA claim
* How state laws relate to the federal law
Visit the web site www.mentalhealthparitywatch.org and call (866)
882-6227 to report concerns.
For more information, contact Samantha Hawkins in the APA's Office of
Healthcare Systems and Financing, (703) 907-8612
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