I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2515 
To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to eating disorders, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 21, 2015 
Mr. DEUTCH (for himself and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and 
in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce and Ways 
and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to 
eating disorders, 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 ‘‘Anna Westin Act of 
2015’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents of this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Findings. 
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Sec. 4. Definition. 
Sec. 5. Training and education. 
Sec. 6. Education and training for health professionals. 
Sec. 7. Education and training for school and higher education professionals. 
Sec. 8. Public service announcements. 
Sec. 9. Clarifying application of existing parity law. 
Sec. 10. Report by Federal Trade Commission. 
Sec. 11. Prohibition on new appropriations. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) Risk of death among individuals with ano-
rexia nervosa is 18 times greater than their same 
age peers without anorexia. It is estimated that at 
least one person dies every 62 minutes from an eat-
ing disorder; at least 23 persons each day. 
(2) Health consequences such as osteoporosis 
(brittle bones), gastrointestinal complications, car-
diac, and dental problems are significant health and 
financial burdens throughout life. 
(3) At lowest estimate, 14.5 million Americans 
suffer from eating disorders. One percent of adoles-
cent boys and two percent of adolescent girls suffer 
from eating disorders; eating disorders account for 
at least four percent of all childhood hospitalizations. 
(4) Eating disorders are treatable biopsycho-
social illnesses. There is a high rate of co-morbidity 
with other illnesses such as depression, substance 
abuse, or anxiety disorders. 
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(5) Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder char-
acterized by self-starvation, weight loss, fear of gain-
ing weight and disturbances in the way in which 
one’s body weight or shape is experienced (body 
image disturbance). 
(6) Anorexia nervosa is associated with serious 
health consequences including heart failure, kidney 
failure, osteoporosis, and death. People who suffer 
anorexia nervosa are 57 times more likely to die of 
suicide than their peers. 
(7) Current estimates of the lifetime prevalence 
of bulimia nervosa are between 0.9 and 1.5 percent 
among women and between 0.1 and 0.5 percent 
among men. 
(8) Bulimia nervosa is associated with serious 
health consequences, including cardiac, gastro-
intestinal, and dental problems including irregular 
heartbeats, gastric rupture, peptic ulcer, tooth 
decay, and death. 
(9) Binge eating disorder is characterized by 
frequent episodes of uncontrolled overeating. Binge 
eating disorder is common: at lowest estimate, 3.5 
percent of American women and 2.0 percent of 
American men will suffer from this disorder in their 
lifetime. 
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(10) Binge eating is often associated with obe-
sity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, 
elevated triglyceride levels, increased risk of bowel, 
breast and reproductive cancers, increased risk of di-
abetes, and increased risk of arthritic damage to the 
joints. 
(11) Many suffer from some, but not all, of the 
symptoms of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or 
binge eating disorder, which is referred to as other 
specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED). Be-
tween 4 percent and 20 percent of young women 
practice unhealthy patterns of dieting, purging, and 
binge eating. 
(12) Eating disorders are more common in 
women, but they do occur in men. Rates of binge 
eating disorder are similar in females and males. 
(13) Academic evidence has demonstrated a 
connection between the use of very thin models in 
advertising and consumer attitudes toward a brand 
based on such advertising, as well as a material in-
fluence of the use of such models on consumer pur-
chase intent, conduct, and reliance. 
(14) Eating disorders appear across all age 
groups, races, ethnicities and socioeconomic groups 
in the United States and are associated with sub-
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stantial psychological problems, including depression, 
substance abuse, and suicide. For children 12 years 
of age and younger, hospitalizations for eating dis-
orders increased by 119 percent between 1999 and 
2006. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘eating disorder’’ includes ano-
rexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and 
other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED), as de-
fined in the fifth edition of ‘‘Diagnostic and Statistical 
Manual of Mental Disorders’’ or, if applicable, the most 
recent successor edition. 
SEC. 5. TRAINING AND EDUCATION. 
Subject to section 11, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Director of the Office 
on Women’s Health of the Department of Health and 
Human Services and in consultation with the Secretary 
of Education, shall— 
(1) revise and then reinstate the BodyWise 
Handbook and related fact sheets and resource lists 
available on the public Internet site of the National 
Women’s Health Information Center sponsored by 
the Office on Women’s Health, to include— 
(A) updated findings and conclusions as 
needed; and 
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(B) thorough information about eating dis-
orders relating to males as well as females; 
(2) incorporate, as appropriate, information 
from such BodyWise Handbook and related facts 
sheets and resource lists into the curriculum of the 
BodyWorks obesity prevention program developed by 
the Office on Women’s Health and training modules 
used in such obesity prevention program; and 
(3) promote and make publicly available 
(whether through a public Internet site or other 
method that does not impose a fee on users) the 
BodyWise Handbook and related fact sheets and re-
source lists, as updated under paragraph (1), and 
the BodyWorks obesity prevention program, as up-
dated under paragraph (2), including for purposes of 
educating universities and nonprofit entities on eat-
ing disorders. 
SEC. 6. EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR HEALTH PROFES-
SIONALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to section 11, the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services, acting through the 
Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration, shall award grants to eligible en-
tities to integrate training into existing curricula for pri-
mary care physicians, other licensed or certified health 
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and mental health professionals, and public health profes-
sionals that may include— 
(1) early intervention and identification of eat-
ing disorders; 
(2) levels of treatment (including family-based 
treatment, in-patient, residential, partial hospitaliza-
tion programming, intensive outpatient and out-
patient); 
(3) how to properly refer patients to treatment; 
(4) steps to aid in the prevention of the devel-
opment of eating disordered behaviors; and 
(5) how to treat individuals with eating dis-
orders. 
(b) APPLICATION.—An entity that desires a grant 
under this section shall submit to the Secretary an appli-
cation at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require, including a plan 
for the use of funds that may be awarded and an evalua-
tion of the training that will be provided. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—An entity that receives a grant 
under this section shall use the funds made available 
through such grant to— 
(1) use a training program containing evidence- 
based findings, promising emerging best practices, 
or recommendations that pertain to the identifica-
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tion, early intervention, prevention of the develop-
ment of eating disordered behaviors, and treatment 
of eating disorders to conduct educational training 
and conferences, including Internet-based courses 
and teleconferences, on— 
(A) how to help prevent the development of 
eating disordered behaviors, identify, intervene 
early, and appropriately and adequately treat 
eating disordered patients; 
(B) how to identify individuals with eating 
disorders, and those who are at risk for suf-
fering from eating disorders and, therefore, at 
risk for related severe medical and mental 
health conditions; 
(C) how to conduct a comprehensive as-
sessment of individual and familial health risk 
factors; and 
(D) how to conduct a comprehensive as-
sessment of a treatment plan; and 
(2) evaluate and report to the Secretary on the 
effectiveness of the training provided by such entity 
in increasing knowledge and changing attitudes and 
behaviors of trainees. 
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SEC. 7. EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR SCHOOL AND 
HIGHER EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. 
(a) GRANTS.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION.—Subject to section 11, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse 
and Mental Health Services Administration, shall 
award grants to eligible entities— 
(A) to conduct educational seminars for 
school personnel on eating disorders early iden-
tification, intervention, and prevention of behav-
iors that are often associated with the develop-
ment of eating disordered behaviors; and 
(B) to make resources available to individ-
uals affected by eating disorders. 
(2) EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS.—As a condition 
on the receipt of a grant under this subsection, an 
eligible entity shall agree to conduct educational 
seminars under paragraph (1)(A), taking into con-
sideration educational materials made available 
through the BodyWise eating disorder initiative of 
the Department of Health and Human Services and 
relevant research on eating disorders. 
(3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this subsection, the 
term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means any State, territory, or 
possession of the United States, the District of Co-
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lumbia, any Indian tribe or tribal organization (as 
defined in subsections (e) and (l), respectively, of 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)), or a public 
or private educational institution, including an insti-
tution of higher education. 
SEC. 8. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to section 11, the Direc-
tor of the National Institute of Mental Health shall con-
duct a program of public service announcements to edu-
cate the public on— 
(1) the types of eating disorders; 
(2) the seriousness of eating disorders (includ-
ing prevalence, comorbidities, and physical and men-
tal health consequences); 
(3) how to identify, intervene, refer for treat-
ment, and help prevent behaviors that often lead to 
the development of eating disordered behaviors; 
(4) discrimination and bullying based on body 
size; 
(5) the effects of media on self esteem and body 
image; and 
(6) the signs and symptoms of eating disorders. 
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