91 Activists Call Attention to "Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act"
 

WASHINGTON Sept. 14, 2006 - More eating disorder advocates lobbied Congress on Sept. 14 than ever before, each asking for a fair share of federal support for the deadly condition. The EDC Lobby Day, in conjunction with the National Eating Disorders Association annual conference, attracted 91 people from a majority of states. Also participating were representatives from England, Germany, and Mexico.

The message of the day: support the Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act (IMPACT). If passed before the end of the 109th Congress, the bill would create a federal grant program to train healthcare personnel about obesity and eating disorders. Although eating disorders have one of the highest death rates of any mental illness, the government spends only $21 million a year on research, and far less on prevention and education programs.

Advocates asked that their elected officials support IMPACT in the House and Senate by signing on as co-sponsors and working to pass the legislation before Congress adjourns. 

April 26, 2006

40 Advocates Tell Their Stories at the EDC Lobby Day

EDC Lobby Day Training

EDC Lobby Day begins!

Researchers!

EDC Policy Director Jeanine Cogan prepares 40 advocates for Congressional meetings.

Activists start their day of lobbying.

Scott Crow, MD, Cindy Bulik, PhD, and Erik van Furth, PhD, winding down after a day on Capitol Hill.

EDC Lobby Day Training

EDC Policy Director Jeanine Cogan prepares 40 advocates for Congressional meetings.

EDC Lobby Day Calls Attention to Dream Bill and Threats

...the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances...

April 26, 2006 - Forty advocates from across the United States met today in Washington, D.C., to raise awareness about eating disorders. The focus of the day's meetings: eating disorder bills in Congress and a dangerous new bill in the Senate.

Advocacy Training and Lobbying Due to increased registration, the training was moved to a community room over the Starbucks on Capitol Hill. Participants were given Starbucks gift cards in order to choose their own breakfast items. EDC Lobby Day training covered Body Mass Index reporting in schools, a dangerous new bill in the U.S. Senate, and positive items such such as the eating disorders dream bill.

Next, EDC Lobby Day teams met with elected officials and their staff members. Some teams reported negative attitudes on the part of staffers, but overall the feedback was positive for most meetings.

"Whether officials agree with us or not, it's important for us to go into their offices, make our best case, and thank them for the opportunity," noted Jeanine Cogan.

At 3:30, the teams joined Congressional staffers for a briefing on the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol. The briefing offered standing room only as speakers reviewed the importance of the first federal report on the efficacy of treatments for various eating disorders.

EDC Executive Director Marc Lerro said, "It went extremely well. At the end of the day, we literally had more sponsors for the bills we support, and we had made several important new connections."

Read more about the briefing.