NEDA established the STAR Program to fight for awareness, education, early intervention and prevention programs, funding for research,and improved access to treatment of eating disorders by speaking with legislators, mobilizing members, and forging alliances with other groups who share our vision.
Attempts at Early Intervention are Underway
In many states, volunteer STAR advocates are working to introduce legislation in early 2012 aimed at improving early intervention and prevention by adding eating disorders to the list of required health screenings in schools. Currently, nearly 80% of states require vision and/or hearing screening, nearly 30% of states require BMI testing in schools, many states require asthma and scoliosis screenings, but no states currently screen for eating disorders.
Read more about the need for school screenings.
Read Harvard study on eating disorder school screenings.
Find out if anyone in your state is working on this important initiative.
To get involved with existing efforts, or to begin working on this in your state, please contact star@myneda.org.
Virginia 2012 Lobby Day Raises Awareness
On Wednesday, January 18th, volunteer advocates from around the state of Virginia gathered in Richmond to educate policy makers about the importance of early intervention through school screenings. Groups met with over 15 legislative offices, and were recognized before the full House of Delegates.
Louisiana Residents: Your Help is Needed!
Funding to pay for a nationally renowned eating disorder physician at Moss Regional Hospital in Lake Charles has been cut; his services provided essential treatment, not available anywhere else in the state. In the absence of this funding, many eating disorder patients from around the state will be left with no care.
Click here for information about how to take action, and a letter/email template.
Second Major Legislative Victory in Virginia
After Winter 2011's successful lobbying of the Virginia Legislature, the Virginia Joint Commission on Health Care studied the problem of eating disorders in the state. NEDA is happy to report that on November 22, 2011, our legislative advocacy efforts have scored a second significant victory in Virginia, where the Virginia Joint Commission on Healthcare voted 9-4 in favor of instructing the Department of Education and the Department of Health to collaborate with NEDA, and other interested stakeholders, to study an evidence-based school screening program in Virginia’s school system.
NEDA Goes to Washington DC in 2011
For the past several years, NEDA has been encouraged by its members and policymakers around the country to advocate at the federal level for increased research funding, prevention efforts and access to care. Until now, we had concentrated our advocacy only at state and regional levels. However, as the voices and the volume of those voices have increased and the problems facing those affected by eating disorders have grown, we are listening and preparing to expand our efforts.
Starting in 2011, NEDA will begin working on these issues at the federal level in addition to maintaining our current programs. By doing so, we hope that these additional efforts will have a positive legislative impact on the fight against eating disorders, and ultimately make it a better world for those affected by these illnesses and their families.
Virginia's Joint Commission on Healthcare Hears Results of Eating Disorder Study
On Monday, September 19, 2011, the Behavioral Health Subcommittee of Virginia's Joint Commission on Health care convened to hear the results of a seven month study on eating disorders in the Commonwealth. The 27 page long presentation covered the definition of eating disorders, dispelled common myths about eating disorders, and discussed the impact--physically, emotionally, and financially--on Virginia residents.
The Committee received the study results with interest, and explored four potential policy options to improve early recognition and early intervention of eating disorders. They will adopt their favored policy options on November 22nd at 10am.
Click here to view the full study results.
Click here to read a letter, signed by over 100 Virginians, petitioning the Joint Commission to adopt all policy options to combat eating disorders. Email star@myneda.org if you are a Virginia resident and would like to support this effort in the future.
Healthy Media for Youth Act Introduced in Congress
On July 13, 2011, the Healthy Media for Youth Act was introduced by Representatives Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Shelley Moore Capito (WV). The bill helps to promote healthy and balanced images of women and girls in the media through media literacy and youth empowerment programs, research on the role and impact of depictions of girls and women in the media, and the establishment of a National Task Force on Girls and Women in the Media. Click here to read the full bill.
To find out how you can support the bill, contact star@myneda.org
Ipecac Ban Signed into Law in NY
On Friday, July 15, 2011, New York Governor Mario Cuomo signed into law a bill to retrict access to Ipecac, after reports that Ipecac can be abused by those with eating disorders. Now, New York residents will need to request Ipecac in stores, rather than obtaining it on shelves. The syrup induces vomiting and can lead to death when abused.
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