School aged children are vulnerable and services are essential
• Uncertainty and unpredictability are the norm
• Families are stressed
• Food choice, availability, and affordability have decreased
• Food insecurity has increased
• Messaging about the Quarantine-15 and the adverse impact of obesity on COVID-19 survival can drive dangerous weight control behaviors
• Well-intentioned obesity prevention programs for youth can unintentionally encourage disordered eating behavior
Dear Readers,
Please find below webinar notes from the Virtual Congressional Briefing: Preventing Disordered Eating, Weight Stigma and Improving Mental Health in Schools hosted by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and co-hosted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, The International Federation of Eating Disorder Dietitians and I Weigh, in conjunction with the Congressional Mental Health Caucus from 29th September 2020. We encourage you to watch the recording of the congressional briefing that would encourage schools to include eating disorders prevention within their Local School Wellness Policies (LSWP).
Speakers included:
- Jameela Jamil, Activist and Founder of I Weigh
- Cynthia M. Bulik, PhD, FAED, Founding Director, University of North Carolina Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, Chapel Hill, NC
- Lily O’Hara, MPH, PhD, Associate Professor of Public Health, Qatar University
- Athena Nair, Tufts University Student and Body Positivity Activist
- Joslyn Smith, Moderator, NEDA Director of Public Policy & Community Relation
You can view the recording of the program here
Please find below all the materials that were discussed during the briefing:
- Presentation slide deck
- Speaker bio packet
- Infographic of the Eating Disorders Prevention in Schools Act (H.R. 6703)
- Take Action! Contact your Member of Congress to tell them to cosponsor H.R. 6703 here
- Link to Harvard University’s STRIPED, Academy for Eating Disorders & Deloitte Access Economics report on economic and social cost of eating disorders
Speaker Packet – NEDA 2020 Briefing
