Dying to be thin: The prevention of eating disorders and the role of Federal policy.

July 10, 1997

Below you will find the list of speakers in order, titles of their talks, and selected quotes. Please click on the title for an edited transcript of a speaker's talk and on their names for a speaker's bio.

Jeanine Cogan, Ph.D., Organizer Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues

Welcome and introduction to the briefing.

'One of the themes you will find repeated throughout the presentations today is that we must go beyond our conceptualization of eating disorders as 'mental illnesses.' The large numbers of girls and women who suffer from eating disorders is a growing public health threat and a social issue. What does it mean to understand eating disorders as a social issue? It means we centralize the role of socio-cultural factors in the development of eating disorders.'

'Examining the role of socio-cultural factors in the development of eating disorders has important implications for prevention. If we are able to identify specific factors in society that place people at risk as Dr. Ruth Striegel-Moore will address in her talk, then we are able to make changes accordingly.'

Nita Lowey Congresswoman (D-NY)

Since eating disorders is an important policy issue, we have introduced the Eating Disorders Education and Information Act of 1997 (HR-2006).

'Thank you very much, I am truly honored to have the privilege to introduce this legislation that is so very important, and we are truly honored to be joined by such a distinguished panel. I am particularly pleased that so many of our congressional staff are here today because we hope you take the message back to all your members of how very vital this issue is. I'm thankful to the SPSSI, the APA, Promoting Life-Long Education about Self-Esteem and the Harvard Eating Disorders Center.'

Louise Slaughter, Congresswoman (D-NY)

Written statement: Since eating disorders is an important policy issue we have introduced the Eating Disorders Education and Information Act of 1997(HR-2006).

'. . .Therefore, Rep. Nita Lowey and I have introduced H.R. 2006, the Eating Disorders Information and Education Act. This bill would establish a toll-free hot-line and information clearinghouse on eating disorders in the Department of Health and Human Services. Families would know that if they call this number, they could receive solid information about preventing, diagnosing, and treating eating disorders. Our offices have been working closely with the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee to include this language in the upcoming appropriations report. I hope this bill can offer a first ray of hope for people with eating disorders. They do not need to suffer. There is help. '

Ruth Striegel-Moore, Ph.D. Wesleyan University

Definition and Overview of the Problem: What are eating disorders? What are the risk factors and what is the role of prevention?

'There's a lot of media attention paid to eating disorders. Despite all the attention.. eating disorders are trivialized and not taken seriously.'

'When we think about what causes eating disorders, and this is very important to the discussion of prevention, here are some points I want to make. One is that there are multiple risk factors from multiple domains, meaning it's not just a single thing that's causing eating disorders. It comes from a variety of levels; from the cultural level down to personal vulnerability.'

Naomi Wolf Author of the Beauty Myth

Providing a socio-cultural context: How and why is this primarily effecting girls and women? Why is this a social issue worthy of Federal attention?

'First let me say what an historic occasion I think this is.... the fact that we're talking about eating disorders in a place like this is a change from five years ago, when it was considered virtually un-American to question the ideal of thinness in public let alone to treat it as a matter of serious policy discussion.'

'Anorexia and bulimia as an epidemic is working as a sort of political sedative on our daughter's generation, young women coming of age, young women of college level. This generation should be the future leaders of America. Instead of being strong and creative and full of resilience, so many young women I speak to on college campuses, again the best and the brightest, are barely making it through at a level of survival. Because they're exhausted. And they're exhausted because they're starving or they're exhausted because they're vomiting compulsively. This generation's voice is diminished, they're reasoning powers are blunted. And this is America's future leadership. All the more reason to take it seriously.'

David Herzog, M.D., Harvard University

The prevalence and consequences of eating disorders and the importance of early detection.

'So the number of people with eating disorders may be more in the 8 to 10 million range. This affects women at a critical stage of career and family development and has a potential devastating impact on their reproductive and general health as well as their psychological well being. Anorexia clearly has an impact on the heart, where women with anorexia have a pulse of between 25 and 30. For those who don't know, normal pulse would be in the 80's.'

Lisa Berzins, Ph.D. Vitality (formerly known as P.L.E.A.S.E.)

What can we do?: Research and policy strategies

'Girls and women often quip in a self-deprecating manner about the inviting prospect of catching anorexia. As of yet, I have not heard of comparable desires to become schizophrenic or depressed or develop any other psychiatric disorder.'

'So what can we do? In terms of health care and consumer protections we can increase regulation of advertising that target children as consumers for weight loss products, cosmetics, and apparel. I'm very proud to say that we have succeeded in Connecticut. Connecticut is the first state in the country to enact legislation that requires the diet industry to disclose accurate information regarding average amounts of weight loss maintained based on scientific data that's drawn from representative samples from customers that use their products.'

Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D. Institute for Women's Policy Research

What role does Federal policy play in the prevention of negative body image and eating disorders and what are specific policy strategies?

'Is it the role of government to provide accurate information about health issues? Yes, that's the role of the Department of Health and Human Services and so the legislation that's been introduced by Nita Lowey and Louise Slaughter can help address that issue . . .'

'The FTC regulates advertising. They do in fact encourage consumers to bring false advertising to their attention. In February, for example, the FTC won a court order to halt accepted advertising by Slim America, which is one manufacturer of products. Just last October, the FTC released a report talking about how Americans have been consuming less fat and cholesterol as a result of information that has become available since the late 80's.'

Cheryl Raczon National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders (ANAD)

What it feels like: A personal struggle with and triumph over an eating disorder.

'When I was diagnosed at age 14 with severe bulimiarexia, I was this height (5'8'), I weighed 89 lbs. My doctor looked at me and said, 'Cheryl, let me explain something to you. Honey, if you don't eat, you will die.''

'So I ask all of you to seriously consider all these statistics in front of you on what happens to women. Please take everything that they've said. Educate parents, educate teachers, educate other professionals because there are lots of us out there, - some recovered, others not. And a lot of us die. And you die depressed, scared, and lonely because you think you're the only one that exists.'

The briefing was sponsored by the following organizations:

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)
The American Psychological Association (APA)
Vitality (formerly known as P.L.E.A.S.E.)
The Harvard Eating Disorders Center

For more information about this briefing please call the SPSSI Public Policy Scholar, SPSSI Scholar, at (202) 336-6062.

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