In a May 6 commentary on the website Tennessean.com, the author of the eating disorder memoirs Life Without Ed and Goodbye Ed, Hello Me called for a comprehensive effort to eradicate eating disorders. E.D. survivor Jenni Schaefer wrote that improved education, better-funded research efforts, and greater insurance coverage are essential weapons in the fight against anorexia, bulimia, and related disorders:

Without help, many people [who have eating disorders] struggle for years and, if they do survive, they end up with serious long-term health consequences.

We have our work cut out for us if we care about turning these stories around. First, we must fight for insurance coverage to include eating disorders in every state. We must also call on Congress to insist that the National Institute of Mental Health significantly increase funding for research of eating-disorder treatment and prevention. In the U.S., eating disorders are much more common than Alzheimer's disease, but receive only a fourth of the amount of research funding.

Several other experts and advocates have noted that challenges related to awareness and financial resources prevent many people from accessing effective treatment for eating disorders.

Labels: awareness, eating disorders, insurance

Posted By: Aspen/CRC