Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, last week people across the Nation and in 51 other countries around the world came together to raise awareness about eating disorders. It was National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, a time not only to learn the facts but also to give people the knowledge and the resources to treat and prevent eating disorders. Most people know that eating disorders are common in our country. They may even know about them through experience, whether through a friend, a family member, or perhaps they suffered or continue to struggle with one personally. What is actually not known is how prevalent they are, the reasons why they occur, and what we can do to prevent these tragic illnesses. According to the Eating Disorders Coalition, eating disorders impact at least 14 million Americans and are so common that 1 to 2 out of every 100 children in America have one. Although eating disorders affect both men and women, the young and the old, and all the races and economic classes, we know that they are seven times more likely to impact women. In fact, 1 in 200 American women suffers from anorexia, and 2 to 3 in 100 women suffer from bulimia, the two most common eating disorders. Distinguished by an obsession with thinness and fear of weight gain, anorexia usually results in extreme weight loss because of restricted eating habits. Bulimia is similar in that those suffering also have an obsession with weight and body image.…”