Presidential Documents

10675 

Federal Register 

Vol. 87, No. 37 

Thursday, February 24, 2022 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10340 of February 18, 2022 

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, 2022 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week provides an opportunity to draw 

attention to one of the most serious mental health conditions impacting 

the lives of Americans and their families today. Eating disorders—including 

binge-eating, bulimia nervosa, and anorexia nervosa—affect people of all 

backgrounds and genders. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans are expected to develop 

an eating disorder in their lifetime. In recent years, there has been a troubling 

surge in eating disorders among children, older adults, military service members, and transgender individuals. When undiagnosed or untreated, eating 

disorders can have serious—even fatal—consequences, which is why improving mental health services and support is so important. 

The COVID–19 pandemic has been especially challenging for individuals 

with eating disorders. National eating disorder hotlines have seen a more 

than 70 percent spike in the volume of calls and chats since the pandemic 

started. Research shows that the number of hospitalizations for eating disorders has doubled during that same time period. 

Despite the fact that eating disorders have among the highest mortality 

rate of any mental illness, the shame and stigmatization of eating disorders 

often prevent people who are suffering from seeking help. That is why 

it is important to make more people aware that, with early detection and 

medical intervention, full recovery from an eating disorder is possible. 

My Administration is working to improve access to treatment, recovery, 

and social support for everyone currently living with an eating disorder 

as well as for their caregivers, families, and friends. Through the National 

Institute of Mental Health, we are working to develop better therapies and 

interventions. My Administration is also working to ensure that eating disorder care and treatment are treated the same as any other medical conditions 

by health insurance plans. Funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides health care providers, 

families, caregivers, and community members the tools, training, and resources to recognize the symptoms of an eating disorder so that referrals 

to specialty providers and treatment can be provided as early as possible. 

We are also working to increase access to mental health services and support 

for young people, who are uniquely vulnerable to eating disorders. The 

American Rescue Plan included $122 billion to help schools reopen safely, 

enabling them to support the mental health of their students. I have also 

called for doubling the number of school-based health counselors, social 

workers, and nurses. Together, these resources will be essential to addressing 

the mental health needs of our Nation’s youth. 

To all those families who have watched a loved one face an eating disorder 

and to all those who are currently facing or recovering from an eating 

disorder—you are in our hearts and you are not alone. It is within our 

power to reduce the burden of eating disorders on the lives of Americans 

and their families. As we work toward these improvements, immediate 

assistance is available for those in need of help. The SAMHSA National 

Helpline at 1–800–662–4357 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-daysa-year information and referral service. For anyone experiencing a crisis, 


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10676 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 37 / Thursday, February 24, 2022 / Presidential Documents 

immediate help is also available by calling the National Suicide Prevention 

Lifeline at 1–800–273–TALK. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 21 through 

February 27, 2022, as National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. I encourage 

citizens, government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, 

and other interested groups to join in activities that will increase awareness 

of what Americans can do to prevent eating disorders and improve access 

to care and other support services for those currently living with an eating 

disorder. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day 

of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of 

the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 

forty-sixth. 

[FR Doc. 2022–04096 

Filed 2–23–22; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3395–F2–P 


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