I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 26 
To amend title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
to raise awareness of eating disorders and to create educational programs 
concerning the same, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2009 
Mrs. BIGGERT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title V of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 to raise awareness of eating disorders 
and to create educational programs concerning the same, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Eating Disorders 
Awareness, Prevention, and Education Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
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(1) An estimated 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 
women and girls and 1,000,000 men and boys suffer 
from eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, 
bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, as well 
as eating disorders that are not otherwise defined. 
(2) Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder char-
acterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. 
(3) An estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of Amer-
ican women will suffer from anorexia nervosa in 
their lifetime. 
(4) Anorexia nervosa is associated with serious 
health consequences including heart failure, kidney 
failure, osteoporosis, and death. 
(5) Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality 
rate of all psychiatric disorders. A young woman is 
12 times more likely to die than other women her 
age without anorexia. 
(6) Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder char-
acterized by excessive food consumption followed by 
inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as self- 
induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, fasting, or ex-
cessive exercise. 
(7) Bulimia nervosa is common: an estimated 
1.1 to 4.2 percent of American women will suffer 
from this disorder in their lifetime. 
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(8) Bulimia nervosa is associated with cardiac, 
gastrointestinal, and dental problems including ir-
regular heartbeats, gastric rupture, peptic ulcer, and 
tooth decay. 
(9) Binge eating disorder is characterized by 
frequent episodes of uncontrolled overeating. 
(10) Binge eating disorder is common: an esti-
mated 2 to 5 percent of Americans experience this 
disorder in a 6-month period. 
(11) Binge eating is associated with obesity, 
heart disease, gall bladder disease, and diabetes. 
(12) Eating disorders usually appear in adoles-
cence and are associated with substantial psycho-
logical problems, including depression, substance 
abuse, and suicide. 
(13) Forty-two percent of 1st through 3d grade 
girls want to be thinner, and 81 percent of 10-year- 
old children are afraid of being fat. 
(14) Thirty-five percent of dieters progress to 
pathological dieting, and 20 to 25 percent of these 
individuals progress to partial or full syndrome eat-
ing disorders. 
(15) Eating disorders can lead to death. Ac-
cording to the National Institute of Mental Health, 
1 in 10 people with anorexia nervosa will die of star-
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vation, cardiac arrest, or other medical complica-
tions. 
(16) Eating disorders can have a negative im-
pact on the educational advancement of a student, 
a situation often overlooked and rarely addressed in 
the Nation’s schools. 
(17) Educational efforts to prevent eating dis-
orders are of primary importance to the health, well 
being, and academic success of the Nation’s stu-
dents. 
(18) Females are much more likely than males 
to develop an eating disorder. An estimated 5 to 15 
percent of people with anorexia or bulimia and an 
estimated 35 percent of people with binge eating dis-
order are male. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are the following: 
(1) To provide States, local school districts, and 
parents with the means and flexibility to improve 
awareness of, identify, and help students with eating 
disorders. 
(2) To help ensure that such individuals receive 
a high-quality education and secure their chance for 
a bright future. 
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SEC. 4. INNOVATIVE ASSISTANCE FOR THE IDENTIFICA-
TION OF, TRAINING ON, AND EDUCATIONAL 
AWARENESS OF EATING DISORDERS. 
Section 5131(a) of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7215(a)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(28) Programs to improve the identification of 
students with eating disorders, increase awareness of 
such disorders among parents and students, and 
train educators (such as teachers, school nurses, 
school social workers, coaches, school counselors, 
and administrators) on effective eating disorder pre-
vention and assistance methods.’’. 
SEC. 5. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
The Secretary of Education, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director 
of the National Institutes of Health, shall carry out a pro-
gram to develop, distribute, and promote the broadcasting 
of public service announcements to improve public aware-
ness, and to promote the identification and prevention, of 
eating disorders. 
SEC. 6. EATING DISORDER RESEARCH AND REPORT. 
Not later than 18 months after the enactment of this 
Act, the National Center for Education Statistics and the 
National Center for Health Statistics shall conduct a 
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study on the impact eating disorders have on educational 
advancement and achievement. The study shall— 
(1) determine the prevalence of eating disorders 
among students and the morbidity and mortality 
rates associated with eating disorders; 
(2) evaluate the extent to which students with 
eating disorders are more likely to miss school, have 
delayed rates of development, or have reduced cog-
nitive skills; 
(3) report on current State and local programs 
to educate youth about the dangers of eating dis-
orders, as well as evaluate the value of such pro-
grams; and 
(4) make recommendations on measures that 
could be undertaken by the Congress, the Depart-
ment of Education, States, and local educational 
agencies to strengthen eating disorder prevention 
and awareness programs. 
Æ 
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