(Washington, D.C.) Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement at a briefing hosted by the Eating Disorders Coalition, where he received their 2013 Excellence in Policy Award:
“This briefing is an important conversation about the critical issues of health, eating disorders, and the stigmas associated with obesity. Children and adults are constantly barraged with a societal need for an excessively thin body image, which promotes disordered thinking and behaviors such as binge eating, inappropriate dieting, and excessive physical activity.
“Eating disorders are not met with the same cultural attitudes as other health issues, and any successful obesity prevention effort must focus on a person’s health and not just his or her weight. I am truly honored to have received the Excellence in Policy Award from the Eating Disorders Coalition, and will continue to work to support efforts that effectively combat binge-eating disorders.”
The briefing focused on how successful obesity prevention efforts must include a comprehensive approach to health, with an emphasis on the psychological effects of our nation’s culture of weight-based stigma. Guest panelists at the briefing included: Rebecca Puhl, PhD, Deputy Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University, B. Timothy Walsh, M.D, Ruane Professor of Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Department of Psychiatry at the College of Physicians & Surgeons at Columbia University, Chevese Turner, CEO & Founder of the Binge Eating Disorder Association, and April Winslow, MS, RD, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Founder of Choose to Change Nutrition Services.
