Eating Disorders Coalition Hosts
First National Policy Conference
April 16, 2004 - The first national policy
conference on eating disorders was held April 15-16 in Washington, D.C.
The conference was sponsored by the Eating Disorders Coalition for
Research, Policy & Action. Over 130 researchers, educators, treatment
professionals, consumers, and government officials participated in the
conference.
David Herzog, president of the EDC, said
the group assembled the experts in the eating disorders communities in
order to focus on where they want to go, not just as a coalition, but as a
larger community of groups and individuals who want to set a course for
health care policy. The title of the event was “Creating a National Eating
Disorders Agenda: Integrating Research, Policy & Practice.”
 James
Stone, the deputy administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA), spoke during the opening session. SAMHSA
helped to fund the conference, along with member organizations of the EDC
and corporate sponsors.
The lunchtime speaker on April 15 was
Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack, who spoke about the
importance of health policy, engaging the media, and fostering consumer
involvement.
Consumers were involved in every aspect of
the conference, from planning to evaluation. Several consumers spoke at
the conference and more than two dozen consumers received scholarships in
order to attend.
This summer, the EDC will publish a final
report incorporating recommendations made by individuals and organizations
participating in the two-day meeting. Content emerging from the conference
may be utilized by the EDC and other groups in developing new policy
recommendations for the coming years.
In conjunction with the national policy
conference, the EDC conducted the Fourth Annual Lobby Day for Eating
Disorders, a congressional briefing, and the 2004 EDC Awards Dinner. The
EDC also participated in the Candlelight Vigil for Eating Disorders
Awareness on April 17 on the National Mall.
EDC board members and staff were pleased
with the outcome of the April events and are planning a similar week of
activities in early 2005.
For more information, contact the EDC at
202-543-9570.
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Additional support for this conference was provided by:
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Click on the
underlined links below to access detailed information.
Presentation
Summary
The Presentation Summary is
available by
clicking here. This
summary is NOT the final report. It is informational material about the
speakers and topics presented at the conference.
Final Report
The conference report will
document the national policy recommendations determined by meeting participants. This report will be
available free on the World Wide Web. Printed and CD-ROM copies will be
available for purchase from the EDC.
Audio recordings
of the conference sessions are available a CD-ROM from the EDC.
Program Committee
Click above for the list of the distinguished national program committee
of
consumers, researchers, treatment professionals, prevention specialists, public policy professionals, federal government
representatives, and elected officials.
Scholarships
A
limited number of scholarships were
available for conference
registration, travel, and hotel lodging.
Special Events
The
2004 EDC Awards Dinner is
Thursday, April 15, in conjunction with the national policy conference.
Candlelight Vigil
Saturday, April
17, 2004
Voices-Not
Bodies™
is an annual candlelight vigil for eating disorder awareness.
Click here for details.
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