Eating Disorders Coalition
Encyclopedia
The Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC) is a Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 advocacy organization working to advance the federal recognition of eating disorders as a public health priority. The EDC was founded in 2000 and is incorporated in Massachusetts. The full legal name of the organization is the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action.

The EDC works with the U.S. Congress, with the executive branch of government, with national nonprofit organizations, and with the media to focus attention on the need for better treatment, research, and prevention of anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...

 (AN), bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa is...

 (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and eating disorders not otherwise specified (ED-NOS).

The United States spends relatively little money on eating disorder-specific programs and research. For example, in 2006 the U.S. spent $21 million on eating disorders research for a population of 5-10 million sufferers. By comparison, in 2006 over $300 million ($USD) was spent on schizophrenia, which impacts approximately the same number of people as eating disorders.

The number of people with eating disorders is not counted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK