The Eating Disorders Coalition advances the recognition of eating disorders as a public health priority throughout the United States. There are two main avenues for addressing eating disorders policies at the federal level. The first is to incorporate eating disorders into already existing and moving initiatives. The second avenue is to help define the Congressional agenda by advocating for the drafting and introduction of new bills that improve the lives of people who are affected by eating disorders.
CURRENT POLICY EFFORTS
Improving Mental Health and Wellness in Schools Act
The Improving Mental Health and Wellness in Schools Act would integrate mental health promotion and education requirements to existing guidelines in the Local School Wellness Policies for grades K-12.
To learn more, view our Improving Mental Health and Wellness in Schools Act infographic: House and Senate.
Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Appropriations Asks
The EDC had three requests for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) FY 2022 appropriations bill: (1) provide funding for Primary Care Training and Enhancement Programs at Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), (2) add eating disorders surveillance questions to the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System (YRBSS), and (3) funding for eating disorders research at the NIH.
Monitoring legislation
The Nutrition CARE Act
The Nutrition CARE Act modifies the Medicare benefit design to include outpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) as a covered benefit under Medicare Part B.
To learn more about the Nutrition CARE Act, please view our Nutrition CARE Act infographic.
Recommended Executive Actions for May's Mental Health Awareness Month
In May of 2021, the EDC helped lead an effort to call upon the White House Domestic Policy Council and the Biden-Harris Administration to create a White House Mental Health Policy Council, an Interagency Taskforce to Meet the Mental Health Needs of Children and Youth in K-12 Education, and more. Read a full description of the requests here.
Top 6 for the 46th: Eating Disorders Transition Memo for the Biden-Harris Administration
The EDC created Top 6 for the 46th: Eating Disorders Transition Memo for the Biden-Harris Administration. This memorandum outlines six specific eating disorders items the incoming Biden-Harris Administration can accomplish in its first year. To see the full memo, click here.
HHS/EDC/Harvard University Co-Hosted the First Pediatric Training on Eating Disorders as Part of Anna Westin Act Implementation
On Tuesday, Nov.6, 2018, the Eating Disorders Coalition and STRIPED at Harvard University, co-hosted the webinar and e-course "Screening, Symptom Recognition &Referral to Treatment for Eating Disorders in Pediatric Primary Care Settings" in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Women's Health for primary care providers serving children, adolescents, and youth adults. The webinar also included a welcome message from U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams. To access the webinar and view the resources, click here.