The Eating Disorders Awareness, Education, and Prevention Act of 2003 (H.R. 873)  was introduced during Eating Disorders Awareness Week on February 25, 2003, in the U.S. House by Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH). The next day, Rep. Biggert spoke at the EDC's Congressional Briefing during Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Currently this bill has only 40 cosponsors. Let's work to get this legislation passed in 2004! This is a "dream bill" for our community in terms of awareness, prevention, and education.

SUMMARY: Eating Disorders Awareness, Prevention, and Education Act of 2003 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the use of innovative assistance funds for programs to: (1) improve identification of students with eating disorders; (2) increase awareness of such disorders among parents and students; and (3) train educators with respect to effective eating disorder prevention and assistance methods.

Directs the Secretary of Education to carry out a program to broadcast public service announcements to improve public awareness, and to promote the identification and prevention, of eating disorders.

Requires the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Center for Health Statistics to: (1) study the impact eating disorders have on educational advancement and achievement; (2) report on current State and local programs to educate youth on the dangers of eating disorders; and (3) recommend Federal, State, and local measures that could be undertaken.

EDC Action Alert:

1) Thank the sponsor and cosponsors of "The Eating Disorders Awareness, Prevention, and Education Act of 2003" (below) for their support, and urge them to continue to work for its speedy passage.

Sponsor: Rep Biggert, Judy [IL-13]

Cosponsors (42)
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 10/15/2003
Rep Bell, Chris [TX-25] - 9/23/2003
Rep Capps, Lois [CA-23] - 3/26/2003
Rep Carson, Brad [OK-2] - 5/9/2003
Rep Costello, Jerry F. [IL-12] - 5/9/2003
Rep Davis, Jo Ann [VA-1] - 6/25/2003
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] - 9/4/2003
Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] - 6/3/2003
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] - 7/7/2003
Rep Etheridge, Bob [NC-2] - 5/15/2003
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] - 5/9/2003
Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] - 5/9/2003
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 9/4/2003
Rep Hoeffel, Joseph M. [PA-13] - 7/7/2003
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] - 3/26/2003
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] - 6/3/2003
Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2] - 3/26/2003
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 6/3/2003
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 5/1/2003
Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] - 6/3/2003
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] - 3/26/2003
Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] - 5/15/2003
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 10/8/2003
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 5/9/2003
Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] - 9/4/2003
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] - 9/4/2003
Rep Miller, Brad [NC-13] - 9/4/2003
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-38] - 3/26/2003
Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] - 6/3/2003
Rep Price, David E. [NC-4] - 6/3/2003
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] - 6/3/2003
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] - 6/3/2003
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 6/3/2003
Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] - 5/9/2003
Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-28] - 3/26/2003
Rep Strickland, Ted [OH-6] - 2/25/2003
Rep Stupak, Bart [MI-1] - 1/28/2004
Rep Tiberi, Patrick J. [OH-12] - 5/15/2003
Rep Walden, Greg [OR-2] - 7/17/2003
Rep Walsh, James T. [NY-25] - 3/26/2003
Rep Waxman, Henry A. [CA-30] - 5/1/2003
Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] - 5/9/2003

2) Contact BOTH of your U.S. senators and ask each one to sponsor a companion bill for this important legislation. Complete contact information for the U.S. Senate is online at www.senate.gov.

The Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act (or the IMPACT Act) (S. 1172), now incorporates concrete language and support for addressing eating disorders, thanks to the work of the Eating Disorders Coalition for Policy, Research, and Action (EDC). U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, MD (R-TN) and Senators Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced the IMPACT bill June 3, 2003.

EDC Policy Director Dr. Jeanine Cogan says, "After months of working with the Senate, the legislation’s sponsors moved from a bill that originally approached obesity in a vacuum to one that mentions eating disorders everywhere that obesity is mentioned. By including eating disorder language in this bill, Congress recognizes eating disorders as an important health priority. This is unprecedented in Congress and a huge victory for people victimized by eating disorders."

The bill would offer grants for the training of health professionals as well as conducting programs that promote healthy eating and exercise to prevent of eating disorders and obesity. Incorporating eating disorders education in an obesity bill provides the public with a balanced message and realistic approach toward health. Here are excerpts from Senator Clinton’s floor speech supporting the bill:

"While it is so important to fight the obesity epidemic, we should not inadvertently send the wrong message by telling our children and adults simply to eat less and exercise,  Senator Clinton said. “Unfortunately, many adolescents misinterpret this as a message that they should eat to achieve the body of a runway model. Anorexia and bulimia are increasingly common among our nation's youth.

"While it is important to prevent diabetes and heart disease that may result from obesity, eating disorders also have their own very serious consequences. Anorexia nervosa, which will affect 3.7 percent of American women sometime in their lifetime, leads to heart failure, kidney failure, and osteoporosis. In fact, a young woman [with anorexia] is 12 times more likely to die than other women her age without anorexia."

The bill is a priority for Majority Leader Frist and is expected to move through the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee quickly.

SUMMARY:

Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act (or the IMPACT Act) - Amends the Public Health Service Act to address issues of overweight, obesity, and eating disorders.

Expands an existing grant program for training for health profession students to include the treatment of overweight, obesity, and eating disorders. Creates a grant program for training for health professionals in such areas.

Creates grant programs at the local level to promote increased physical activity and improved nutrition (in place of current law, which provides for grants to promote childhood nutrition and physical activity). Targets partnerships with businesses, schools, senior centers, day care facilities and other institutions. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to give priority in awarding grants to recipients who provide matching contributions. Permits the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to provide technical assistance to grantees.

Allows the Secretary, acting through the National Center for Health Statistics, to provide for the collection and analysis of certain data, including data collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Permits the Secretary to: (1) make grants to States, public entities, and nonprofits to further the collection and analysis of such data; and (2) provide technical assistance to such grantees.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to request that the Institute of Medicine conduct a study or contract for a study on the food and nutrition programs run by the Department of Agriculture.

Permits the use of preventive health and health services block grants for community education programs which promote healthy eating and exercise habits.

Establishes reporting requirements with regard to: (1) obesity research; and (2) the national campaign to change children's health behaviors and reduce obesity.

EDC Action Alert:

Thank the senators listed below for their sponsorship of this bill. Thank ALL senators for passing this bill in the U.S. Senate.

IN THE SENATE

The time has come for us to once again make our voices heard. As you may remember the EDC and the entire eating disorders field experienced a huge success with lobbying for the introduction of the Senate IMPACT Act (S. 1172) in June 2003. As a result of our efforts, this bill that originally focused solely on the prevention of obesity was reworded to include the prevention of eating disorders. What a victory!

Our advocacy efforts increased the number of supporters of the bill, known as cosponsors.

THIS BILL PASSED IN THE SENATE! CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE THIS HAPPEN!

We ask you to write to both of your U.S. senators. If they signed on as sponsors or cosponsors, thank them for supporting this bill. (Check the list below for current sponsors and cosponsors.) If your senators did not signed on in support of the bill, assume that they supported the bill and thank them for the U.S. Senate vote.

Complete contact information for the U.S. Senate is online at www.senate.gov.

Current cosponsors of IMPACT bill in the United States Senate:Sen Alexander, Lamar [TN] 6/3/2003 Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] 6/3/2003 Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] 4/21/2004 Sen Campbell, Ben Nighthorse [CO] 7/10/2003 Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] 6/3/2003 Sen Cochran, Thad [MS] 10/29/2003 Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] 7/17/2003 Sen Cornyn, John [TX] 11/10/2003 Sen DeWine, Michael [OH] 6/3/2003 Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] 6/3/2003 Sen Fitzgerald, Peter [IL] 10/15/2003 Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] 11/3/2003 Sen Landrieu, Mary [LA] 6/3/2003 Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] 10/29/2003 Sen Lugar, Richard G. [IN] 6/3/2003 Sen McConnell, Mitch [KY] 9/4/2003 Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] 10/29/2003 Sen Murkowski, Lisa [AK] 6/16/2004 Sen Murray, Patty [WA] 6/3/2003 Sen Roberts, Pat [KS] 6/27/2003 Sen Sarbanes, Paul S. [MD] 4/21/2004 Sen Sessions, Jeff [AL] 6/3/2003 Sen Stabenow, Debbie [MI] 7/8/2003 Sen Stevens, Ted [AK] 6/4/2003 Sen Warner, John W. [VA] 6/3/2003 Sen Wyden, Ron