Response from Tammy Baldwin

Dear Ms. Sasson:

Thank you for contacting about pro-anorexia websites. I appreciate you sharing your studies on this issue and I apologize for the delay in my response.

Like you, I recognize that eating disorders are a widespread and often under-addressed problem in America. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, nearly 10 million females and 1 million males suffer from eating disorders, and millions more suffer from variations of the diseases.

I understand that one of the most difficult challenges for people with eating disorders, their families, and treatment providers is ensuring health insurance reimbursement for appropriate and long-term treatment. It concerns me that individuals suffering from eating disorders have difficulties with insurance companies covering their treatment. This is unacceptable. I believe that health care, including mental health care, is a basic human right that should extend to all Americans.

As such, I am a proud cosponsor of the Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders (FREED) Act, H.R. 1193. The FREED Act is the first comprehensive eating disorders legislation in Congressional history. This bill will create Centers of Excellence dedicated to research, provide for evidence-based standards of care, establish education and prevention grant programs for the training of health professionals and schools, and enhance access to care for those who suffer from eating disorders.

In addition, the need for more positive images of girls in the media is clear. A recent survey by Girl Scouts of the USA's (GSUSA) Research Institute, Girls and Body Image, found that 89 percent of girls say the fashion industry places a lot of pressure on teenage girls to be thin. Further, only 46 percent think that the fashion industry does a good job of representing people of all races and ethnicities. The American Psychological Association's (APA) Report on the Sexualization of Girls (2007) found that three of the most common mental health problems among girls?"eating disorders, depression or depressed mood, and low self-esteem?"are linked to the sexualization of girls and women in media.

To address this issue, I have introduced the Healthy Media for Youth Act, H.R. 4925. This measure takes a three-pronged approach to promote healthy media messages about girls and women. First, the bill creates a competitive grant program to encourage and support media literacy programs and youth empowerment groups. The bill also facilitates research on how depictions of women and girls in the media affect youth. Finally, it establishes a National Taskforce on Women and Girls in the Media, which will develop voluntary standards that promote healthy, balanced, and positive images of girls and women in the media for the benefit of all youth.

Both H.R. 1193 and H.R. 4925 have been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on which I serve. Please know that I will keep your thoughts in mind should legislation related to eating disorders come before me in the House of Representatives.

Again, thank you for sharing your views. Your opinion matters to me. If I can be of service to you in any other way, please do not hesitate to let me know. As a security precaution, all mail sent to Congress is first irradiated. This process causes significant delays. To ensure the fastest response, I encourage all constituents who have access to the internet to contact me through my website at http://tammybaldwin.house.gov.
Sincerely,

Tammy Baldwin