[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 55 (Wednesday, May 6, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S4432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL EATING DISORDER AWARENESS DAY

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I want to extend my appreciation to every 
Member of this Senate for unanimously passing a resolution that 
dedicates today to be National Eating Disorder Awareness Day.
  The purpose is to raise awareness and educate others so that we can 
end the silence that has shrouded eating disorders for so long. The 
reason this is important is, this affects 8 million people. Eight 
million people in this country have eating disorders; the vast majority 
of them are women.
  A recent study of a group of fourth graders reveals that 50 percent 
of these little students believed they were overweight. Eighty-one 
percent of the girls in the same group reported that they had already 
been on diets. These are 9-year-old kids.
  Today, younger and younger children are adopting restrictive eating 
procedures and patterns. What begins as abnormal behavior toward food 
and weight control may develop into anorexia, bulimia, and other forms 
of disordered eating.
  As with any illness, I believe it is wise to invest in resources and 
programs working toward prevention. By heightening awareness and 
increasing education, we can save many young children before they 
become trapped in a life-threatening cycle of an eating disorder.
  I extend my appreciation to the entire Senate for allowing this 
resolution to pass. It sends a message to the country that we care 
about the 8 million people who have eating disorders.

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