and consider making a donation to the Academy of Eating Disorders' 2009 scholarship campaign.
One of the sad truths in the field of eating disorders is that there just isn't enough research being done. That's one reason for the relatively ineffective treatments we've got--there's not a lot of money to be made by researching EDs, probably because pharmaceuticals don't typically do much to help. So researchers--especially young researchers--have to find other ways to support their work.
One of the things I really like about the AED as an organization is the ways in which it nurtures research. And this is one of them. Since 2002, the scholarship fund has helped fund more than 50 clinicians and researchers from around the world to work on finding solutions for eating disorders. It's a worthy cause--and tax-deductible, too!
There is a bill, recently proposed in Congress, HR 1193, that proposes money, etc, to fund research, treatment and education about eating disorders. Here is the letter that the Maudsley Newsletter recommends one can copy &/or edit and send to your congressperson in support of this bill. You can also google the bill and read the whole thing if you like:
ReplyDeleteand you can find your congressperson via www.gov
Your Name
Street Address
City
Date
The Honorable First Name Last Name
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman(woman) XX,
As a member of the Eating Disorders Coalition and someone who has personally suffered the impact of
living with an eating disorder, I am writing you today to ask your support for the Federal Response to
Eliminate Eating Disorders Act (H.R. 1193). This is the first comprehensive eating disorders bill in the
history of Congress. By focusing on research, education, prevention and treatment this bill is a beacon
of hope for the millions of people currently suffering from an eating disorder.
It is estimated that 9 million Americans suffer from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and other eating
disorders. Eating disorders are associated with a host of medical complications including cardiac
arrhythmia, cognitive impairment, osteoporosis, infertility, heart failure and most seriously death. In
fact, anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate of all mental disorders, upwards of 20%.
Research shows that eating disorders can be successfully overcome with early detection and adequate
and appropriate treatment. Unfortunately eating disorders are often undiagnosed by health
professionals and/or access to treatment is limited. Less than half of all people with eating disorders
receive the treatment needed.
The Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders (the FREED Act) can change these state of
affairs. H.R. 1193 will save lives by providing more funds for research so that we can better
understand, prevent and treat eating disorders, grant programs that provide training for health
professionals, and steps toward better access to treatment coverage.
We urge you to sign on as a cosponsor of the FREED Act. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank
you again for your consideration.
Warm regards,
First and Last Name