Eating Disorders
Caroline Arnold
Elizabeth Cozine
Juliette MacRostie
STRATEGY
ANALYSIS REPORT
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Table of Contents
1 – Overview
2 – Background
9 – Target Audience
8 – Communications Strategies and Campiagns
8 – NEDA
12 – ANAD
15 – EDC
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Overview
Eating disorders in the United States is a prevalent issue that has garnered national
attention in the past 30 years with the rise of obesity rates, a growing dieting culture,
and the explosion of the Internet and other media sources. In response to the growing
number of cases of the disease, a number of different non-profit organizations
emerged in order to educate, promote and support the issues of eating disorders on a
national level. While each organization works diligently in order to educate and inform
the public, many organizations struggle to communicate their messages to a large
national audience.
This report strives to inform its reader on each type of eating disorder, the efforts of the
National Eating Disorder Association, the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa
and Associated Disorders (ANAD) the Eating Disorder Coalition, and improvements
that can better help to reduce eating disorders in the United States.
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Background
What are eating disorders?
An eating disorder is characterized by an abnormal or unhealthy relationship with
food. As a result, the sufferer can face distorted thinking, excessive weight-loss, and a
number of other symptoms (“General Information”). In the United States alone, over 24
million people of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders (“Eating Disorders
Statistics”). Studies had proved that genetics and environment have a correlation and
influence over the development of eating disorders (“General Information”).
Additionally, the disease has devastating consequences and effects; in fact, eating
disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. There is a great deal in
variance in causes of death in relation to eating disorders - those who suffer may
experience heart or organ failure, malnutrition or suicide (“Eating Disorders Statistics”).
Eating disorders additionally vary in their type. There are four major types of eating
disorders - anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorders, and eating
disorders not otherwise specified (ENDOS). Each case has unique characteristics, with
no two cases being the same.
Type of Eating Disorder
Symptoms
Anorexia Nervosa
•
•
•
•
Bulimia Nervosa
•
•
•
Binge Eating Disorder
•
•
•
•
Psychological Explanation
Intense fear of weight
gain.
Skipping meals.
Resisting high caloric
foods.
Eating only specific types
of food.
•
•
•
Intense fear of weight
gain.
Episodes of binging
(excessive consumption
of food) and purging
(making oneself vomit).
Abuse of laxatives
and/or weight loss pills.
•
•
•
Difficulty regulating
mood.
Impulsivity.
Family dysfunction.
Rapid consumption of
food.
Frequent episodes.
Bingeing until feeling sick
or uncomfortable.
Lack of control over food
consumption.
•
•
•
•
Depression.
Low self-esteem.
Loneliness.
Body dissatisfaction.
•
Fear of growing up.
Perfectionism.
Need for control or
attention.
Family discord.
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Eating Disorders Not Otherwise
Specified (EDNOS)
•
•
Do not meet exact
specification of anorexia
or bulimia.
Struggle with relationships
with food or body image.
•
•
•
•
•
Body dissatisfaction.
Distorted body image.
Depression, anxiety.
Low self-esteem.
Rigid thinking.
EDs in the 21st Century
Eating disorders have risen to attract the public interest in the 20th and 21st century
with the rise of social media, unrealistic standards set by the media, and the efforts set
forth by the United States in order to raise awareness of rising rates of obesity. The case
number of eating disorders exploded in the 1970s and 1980s, with adolescent girls
accounting for most cases (Deans). Because of this, eating disorders became known
as a teenage disease (Deam). It is important to understand that, during this time,
obesity rates in the United States were increasing at an extremely high rate, prompting
the emergence of low-fat eating and dieting through mainstream channels (Deans).
Additionally, the media has become a critical platform that has set standards for the
ideals of beauty in American culture. According to Mortality and Health: News Media
Constructions of Overweight and Eating Disorders, “thinness is associated with high
social status and is taken as evidence of moral virtue. In contrast, fatness is linked to
low status and seen as a sign of sloth and gluttony” (Saguy, Gruys 231). The media
feeds on this assumption, and promotes “thinness” as a ideal standard to strive for.
The explosion of the Internet and social media has become a forum for the promotion
and rise in awareness of eating disorders. Social networking websites have
perpetuated and fueled the promotion of eating disorders, with the Internet providing
an online community for those struggling with the unhealthy lifestyle. These networks
include websites such as Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr, to name a few.
How EDs Are Being Addressed
Eating disorders have been covered and addressed through the use of various media
and communications channels in the United States. The portrayal of EDs have been
displayed in print, television and onwline; through news and entertainment sources.
However, one of the most significant efforts in raising awareness of eating disorder
comes from non-profit organizations specific to advocating for eating disorders in the
U.S.
These nonprofit organizations are multifaceted - they provide support and literature on
eating disorders and bring light to the various issues and consequences of the disease.
The non-profit organizations are committed to educating and promoting the
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awareness of eating disorders in the United States. In this report, we chose to focus
upon three different non-profit organizations: the National Eating Disorders Association
(NEDA), the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
(ANAD) and the Eating Disorder Coalition. All three organizations have resources and
sources of support, and aim to make eating disorders a national issue.
Organization
Founded
Goals
National Eating
Disorders Association
(NEDA)
2001, after merging of
Eating Disorders
Awareness &
Prevention (EDAP) and
American Anorexia
Bulimia Association
(AABA). This merged
the largest and longest
standing eating
disorders prevention
and advocacy
organizations in the
world (“Who We Are”).
Campaign for
prevention, treatment
and research.
Founded in early 1970s
by Vivian Meehan.
Oldest ED organization
providing referral
services.
Fighting and
supporting the
recovery of eating
disorders.
Helps those struggling
with EDs while
providing resources for
families, schools, and
the ED community.
Raises awareness of
eating disorders in the
world of public health
a national and state
level.
The National
Association of Anorexia
Nervosa and
Associated Disorders
(ANAD)
Eating Disorders
Coalition (EDC)
Founded in 2000.
Efforts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Leading non-profit
organization for
eating disorders in
the United States.
Social media
accounts.
Conferences.
Annual NEDA walks.
NEDA Awareness
Week.
Spreading
awareness in
schools.
Partnering to raise
awareness.
Social media
accounts.
Support groups and
referral hotlines.
Works with
Congress to
influence public
policy.
Support advocacy.
Educating
members of
Congress.
Social media
accounts.
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Target Audience
Young Women Ages 11-18
Due to the simple fact that any one or a combination of eating disorders plague
approximately 24 million Americans, there are a plethora of target audiences to
choose from. The primary target audience in this case is young women or adolescents,
ages 11-18. Young girls, particularly those entering both middle and high school go
through major changes physically and socially. Pressures from peers and the media
become more significant than ever before. Currently, 5% of adolescents in the United
States have either anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder. With
such a large number of young women affected, it only seemed fitting for this analysis
to be written with them in mind.
College Students
Another very important audience to target is college students, ages 18-22. Attending
college for the first time is both an exciting and challenging time for many young
adults as they leave the comfort of their homes to enter a world where they must
balance freedom with responsibility. They are offered more choices than ever before,
and with those choices come additional pressures and stresses. According to NEDA,
35% of college students are pathological dieters—those who diet on and off for long
periods of time. Of those, 20-25% progress to partial of full-syndrome eating disorders.
Men
Men are often forgotten or lost in the midst of attention and coverage that eating
disorders receive. This is for a combination of reasons including the fact that eating
disorders affect many more women than they do men and the idea that there is a
certain sort of social stigma associated with men who have eating disorders. However,
males account for approximately 5-15% of patients with anorexia nervosa or bulimia
nervosa and 35% of those with binge eating disorder. Although, statistically, men are
not equally as affected by this disease as women, they nevertheless are affected and
should thus be part of the larger target audience.
Parents: Mothers
As previously mentioned, children are influenced everyday by external factors, which
can lead them to developing an eating disorder. Parents can play a key role in the
prevention of these eating disorders. This analysis will target mothers, especially the
profound impact that their behaviors toward food, dieting, and self-image have on
their children. A mother possessed by diets and calorie counting will only encourage
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similar behavior in her children. Thus, it is critical that mothers understand their own
power and use it for preventative purposes. Children experience peer pressure and
are exposed to a host of negative media messages. That is precisely why it is so
important to combat these issues through positive communication in the home.
Parents must discuss what truly has value in the real world and what does not.
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Health Communications Strategies and Case Studies
National Eating Disorders Association
NEDA works tirelessly to support individuals and families of those who struggle with
eating disorders, and uses a number of effective strategies and tactics in order to
communicate their messages and mission. NEDA’s website provides help and support
for those interested or affected, and offers an online eating disorders screening,
helpline, options for treatment, and resources to support groups. In addition to their
website, NEDA communicates with the public through social networking websites such
as Facebook and Twitter.
NEDAwareness Week
NEDA hosts and publicizes their annual event, National Eating Disorders Awareness
Week, each February. Their slogan for the 2014 year was “I Had No Idea.” This theme,
according to NEDA, was chosen in order to “raise awareness towards the significant
impact eating disorders have on individuals, families, and communities across the
nation” (“Key Messages”). The purpose of the week is to increase the outreach and
awareness of eating disorders and body images while reducing or dispelling
misconceptions about the disease. NEDA believes that the week should spur
conversation and prompt individuals to seek out information about eating disorders,
which could ultimately save lives (“Key Messages”).
The week used a number of platforms in which information about the disease could
be communicated. Some of the actions taken by NEDAwareness Week included the
distribution of pamphlets and posters, hosting volunteer speakers, posting on social
networking websites and planning interactive events to be held within communities
(“Key Messages”). The week prompted the everyday person to take action and
participate through planning such events. One of the many key messages focused
upon within this week was taking action through small efforts. NEDA asked their target
audience to promote and expose the event within their respective communities,
allowing those interested in participating to become directly involved (“Key
Messages”). The event additionally made the effort to reach one of their key target
audiences - adolescents in schools - by providing relevant information about
NEDAwareness Week in the classroom environment. NEDA takes advantage of the
week in communicating important messages to the public.
NEDAwareness Week spurred conversation on online platforms when the hashtag
#NEDAwareness became a trending topic on Facebook and Twitter this year and in
years past. The hashtag attracted additional attention in 2012 when singer and actress
Demi Lovato tweeted, "Most models are thinner than 98% of Americans. Instead of
trying to change our bodies, how about we try to change our culture?
#NEDAwareness” (Lovato). The tweet received 17,442 retweets and 3,866 favorites,
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further exposing awareness of the week. The actress, who has 22.2 million followers on
Twitter, is known for her struggle with eating disorders and self-harm, and has become
an important role-model in combating and preventing eating disorders (Steiner). In
addition to Lovato, renowned television personality Dr. Phil tweeted in support of the
week.
During the 2014 year, NEDA partnered with a diverse range of partners that helped to
raise awareness through hosting events and increasing dialogue. The 86 partnerships
included hospitals, schools, and a number of other meaningful platforms in which
NEDA’s messages could be communicated and spread. Forging partnerships were
extremely effective in reaching a larger audience, and, according to NEDA, helped to
“generate tremendous media attention to eating disorder issues at the local, regional
and national level” (“Partners”).
NEDA’s efforts throughout NEDAwareness Week did not go unnoticed by major news
networks. Coverage of the week was reported on by a variety of different news
sources, from Forbes to The Huffington Post to Psychology Today. These articles took
advantage of the week in order to bring eating disorders to a national light. USA
Today recognized the necessity for our nation to “overcome the ‘silent epidemic’” of
eating disorders, and addressed the need for education about the deadly disease to
be spread on college campuses (Adamczyk). This type of news coverage helped to
make the week nationally recognized, and focused upon NEDA’s goal of
destigmatizing the disease, a key message the organization was trying to
communicate.
Partnerships
NEDA has forged relevant partnerships in the past five years. These partnerships not
only help to add legitimacy to both organizations, but also bring in more audience
members to target. In 2013, NEDA partnered with Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
(SMH) to launch www.MyBodyScreening.org. The website is an anonymous source
where people can take a free evaluation of their eating habits, which can help to
indicate the presence of an eating disorder. This is an incredibly useful tool in which
people struggling with eating disorders can anonymously identify their eating patterns.
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NEDA and SMH believe that the online resource can help people identify their illnesses
and seek help thereafter. The partnership was formed before NEDA’s 26th annual
NEDAwareness Week (“National Partnerships..”).
In addition to partnering with SMH, NEDA partnered with popular microblogging
website, Tumblr, in 2012. Tumblr had become a source for “pro-ana” information and
affirmations; done so by a variety of users promoting the unhealthy behavior through
words and images. NEDA partnered with the website to help them flag these pages
through the Media Watchdog program, and additionally spread information and
resources for support in response. Tumblr additionally agreed to promote
NEDAwareness Week, which reached over 40 million users of the website (“National
Eating Disorders..”).
In 2010, NEDA announced that Whitney Thompson, the winner of Cycle 10 of
America’s Next Top Model had become NEDA’s official ambassador. This
announcement, like other partnerships mentioned, came prior to NEDAwareness
Week, which attracted publicity and conversation about the week (“Top Model…”).
Community Involvement
NEDA, as stated prior, affords the opportunity for followers or volunteers to become
directly involved with the organization. This can be done through advocating for NEDA
and eating disorders in lobbying efforts, volunteering or interning, participating,
sponsoring, or planning NEDA Walks, and joining Media Watchdog, which works to
improve messages about body image and eating disorders online (“Get Involved”).
These efforts directly engage NEDA’s followers, and aim to spur conversation within a
plethora of different communities.
Social Media
Although NEDA has online accounts on major social networking websites, their
followers do not accurately represent the 24 million Americans that struggle with
eating disorders or body image issues. Collectively, NEDA’s social networking accounts
amount to 49,207 followers. These followers include Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram
and Twitter users. Although the organization posts frequently, they struggle to attract
more followers.
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National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
(ANAD)
The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) uses
partnerships, social media, and various events to promote the awareness of eating
disorders. Their partnerships consists of four nationally ranked rehabilitation centers
such as The Ranch, Rogers Memorial Hospital and Center for Discovery, among others.
ANAD is partnered with sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon, as their national philanthropy. In
addition, ANAD has Facebook and Twitter accounts that clients, members, and the
general public can utilize to get more information about eating disorders. Throughout
the year, ANAD hosts a series of events that are open to the public. For example,
ANAD is hosting their 11th Annual ANAD Candlelight Vigil at Edward Hospital. It is a
memorial celebration to remember those who have lost their lives to eating disorders
to and celebrate and support those in recovery.
Mission and Key Messages
On ANAD’s website they describe themselves as “a non-profit corporation that seeks
to prevent and alleviate the problems of eating disorders, especially including
anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder” (“Get Information”). The messages that
ANAD intends to spread are more about physical health rather than mental health,
evidenced by the framing of eating disorders as a self-image problem instead of a
mental illness issue. As articulated in their mission statement, ANAD targets women
ages 18-30 years old who suffer from eating disorders. Their secondary audience
includes adults with ages ranging from 18-60, specifically targeting the parents, family
members, and friends of those who have an eating disorder.
Partnerships
ANAD remains relevant by forming strategic partnerships with various rehabilitation
centers and other organizations, such as Delta Phi Epsilon. The rehabilitation centers
that ANAD has become associated with are are nationally ranked. Some have hosted
high-profile figures who have struggled with eating disorders. These strategic
partnerships have helped ANAD become more relevant, as celebrity-gossip is a
prevalent topic among adolescents. Since some well-known celebrities have gone to
certain rehabilitation centers that are partnered with ANAD, people can associate
ANAD with the rehabilitation centers, which can become more of a topic of
conversation among their targeted audience. These partnerships give ANAD more
credibility as the public is able to see a celebrity, such as Demi Lovato, recover from
an eating disorder and continue on a path to success. In return, victims of eating
disorders regain hope that recovery is possible.
Additionally, partnering with a sorority helps facilitate conversation about eating
disorders on college campuses by targeting an organization that caters to the primary
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audience of ANAD. Additionally, knowledge and awareness of ANAD is spread
through the philanthropy’s various events aimed at raising awareness about the
cause. ANAD reaches out to the sorority with three specific goals: Increase awareness
of eating disorders, address body image, media influence, and self-perception;
increase development of philanthropic endeavors on the college campus; and
increase fundraising for awareness, prevention, education and advocacy of eating
disorders. From February 23- March 1, the sorority has ANAD week. During this week,
Delta Phi Epsilon has various events and activities that help raise awareness about
eating disorders, including a candlelight vigil (“Get Involved”).
ANAD uses the Candlelight Vigil to remember those who have lost their lives and
recognize those who have recovered and survived, while also promoting eating
disorder awareness to the general public. The event is meant to raise awareness of
eating disorders and promote a positive self-image through the theme of “Accept
Yourself...Accept Others” (“Get Involved”) ANAD recognizes the importance of this
vigil in saving lives, as the information and testimonials from survivors can act as a
catalyst for a victim of an eating disorder to seek help, as the vigil reduces the stigma
surrounding the disease. In conclusion, this program allows Delta Phi Epsilon chapters
to host a sponsored event on their campus that supports eating disorder awareness,
prevention, education and advocacy.
Social Media
ANAD uses multiple platforms to promote eating disorder awareness among their
target audience. The organization keeps an online presence through Facebook and
Twitter by posting content about eating disorders in the news, as well as highlighting
positive ways that society can improve on their perception of eating disorders.
Facebook
On ANAD’s Facebook page under their “About” section, they use the same phrases as
their website in their “Who Are We” section, gave a summary of their mission, gave
their helpline phone number and email under their “Contact Info.” The Facebook
page itself consists of posts that are mainly inspirational messages about positive body
image and pictures of events that ANAD held. With 9,757 “likes”, ANAD tries to support
women who are struggling with eating disorders and may be reluctant to seek help
due to public perception about the disease.
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Over the course of six years on Facebook, ANAD has increased their number of
inspirational graphics and decreased the amount of posts containing political
activism. In 2009, it seems that ANAD used Facebook as a way to get the word out
about distorted body images, exemplified by the petition against Ralph Lauren for
their distorted media advertising campaign. They also posted news articles and
research that identified the linkage between eating disorders and media coverage.
For example, ANAD posted, “Study indicates preschool girls worry about their body
image...What do you think” and placed a link to the study saying, “Half of preschool
girls worry about fat.” This gives the audience a shocking idea about how children are
being affected by media advertising. Posts like these spur the audience to action by
tugging on their heartstrings, with action coming in form of increased participation
and involvement with ANAD.
Additionally, in 2010, ANAD was able to get a time slot on the Today Show and posted
the interview on their page. This segment on the Today Show cast the national
spotlight on eating disorders. It was able to reach a number of audiences, including
one of the largest law firms in the country: McDermott, Will, and Emery. The law firm
agreed to help ANAD in their efforts to remove Pro ANA/ MIA websites.
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In 2011, the website still kept up with current event issues involving eating disorders
while starting to post inspirational quotes that encourage people to stay healthy.
ANAD continued to get media coverage with large cable news networks such as the
Today Show and ABC News as they advocated eating disorder awareness. In
addition, they continued to provide studies and news articles about the public’s
perception of weight, such as “From Parenting.com, 44% of women polled stated that
they would rather be 15 pounds thinner, than have their child be 15 points smarter. Are
you surprised?” By presenting concrete statistics with an element of “shock value,”
ANAD was able to effectively spark conversation on their Facebook page.
In 2012, ANAD continued to show studies of how people feel about weight by
supporting these claims with relevant issues in current events; over 50 percent of their
content was inspirational graphics and posters to help people to feel better about
themselves. ANAD also addressed Barneys’ scandalous campaign of changing Disney
characters to look extremely thin and tall. Their Facebook post stated, “Barney’s New
York ad is inappropriate- tell Disney and Barneys what we think!” and included a link to
the Huffington Post article. In 2013 and 2014, ANAD begins to reduce posts pertaining
to current events and studies related to eating disorder sentiments, and instead
increases the amount of inspirational graphics to around 90% of their Facebook
content. The strategy of posting inspirational graphics, rather than shocking news
articles, has been more effective in garnering “likes” for each post, which in turn
increases the amount of internet traffic reaching their page. The success of these
inspirational graphics may be due to their simplistic nature that allows visitors to
casually scroll through the page and find posts that relate to their own struggle or the
struggle of a loved one, without delving too deep into the subject. Furthermore, the
generality of these inspirational quotes facilitate its application to a number of life
struggles, not just eating disorders.
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Twitter
ANAD’s Twitter page uses similar tactics as their Facebook page. However, they do
not have as much information about how to get in contact with them as their
Facebook does. Created in 2010, the page now has 2,056 followers with over 1,000
tweets. ANAD’s tweets consist of inspirational quotes, retweets of other organizations
and celebrities who tweeted about positive body image, and scientific facts about
nutrition. ANAD advocates the practice of healthy habits, particularly how to have a
healthy relationship with food and exercise on this medium.
In 2010, ANAD focused on communicating scientific facts and relevant current events
issues to their followers. They focused on linking their website to their tweets to draw in
more web traffic to their organization. They also tweeted about their various
partnerships and events. They regularly communicated with their associated partners
and followers.
In 2012, ANAD continued to support different reactions to eating disorders. For
instance, Lady Gaga tweeted, “Just killed back to back spin classes. Eating a salad
dreaming of a cheeseburger #PopSingersDontEat #IWasBornThisWay.” ANAD then
tweeted back, “@ladygaga Eating Disorders are deadly. As a role-model, you should
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know better than to joke about it. #Wellness Not Weight.” This was able to help keep
ANAD more relevant while pointing out the issues that people tweet: it helps people to
realize that what they’re saying about weight can be potentially harmful especially
since social media has grown exponentially among various audiences. As ANAD
continued to tweet, they use retweets as a way to convey scientific research on
nutrition and any information from the rehabilitation centers.
In 2014, ANAD combines the information together of retweeting, replying to followers
and adding pictures, therefore becoming more of an interactive entity. They also
address ways to eat healthy and how to keep healthily active.
Eating Disorder Coalition
The Eating Disorders Coalition strives to advance the recognition of eating disorders as
a public health issue on both a national and state level. The EDC uses several effective
strategies to reach a varied audience. The EDC’s website provides information for
both those affected by the issue and those interested in making change on the
congressional level. Much of the information and research studies included on their
website is purely for the purpose of education. They also include outlets for those who
wish to become more involved by writing letters and holding insurance companies
accountable for categorically denying patients treatment for eating disorders. In
addition to their web presence, the EDC is present on various social media platforms
such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
Social Media
The EDC’s Facebook page—where they regularly posts photos, news, and videos
pertaining to their cause—currently has over 3,000 likes. This has proven to be a
platform where the EDC updates the public on their efforts and encourages them to
join the cause, which is a successful way to raise awareness. The EDC has been on
Twitter since February of 2009 and currently has upwards of 1,500 followers. Many of
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their tweets get favorite and retweeted by followers as a sign of support. The EDC uses
this platform mainly to interact with their followers and give shout outs to celebrities
and spokespeople. This interactivity has been relatively successful, however could be
even more effective with a larger audience.
Advocacy
In addition to their efforts online, the EDC also hosts an annual National Lobby Day
where those interested and passionate can join the EDC on Capitol Hill to address
eating disorders on a Federal level (www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org). This is a great
opportunity to learn more about the process of lobbying, while gaining connections
on the Hill, not to mention making policy change regarding eating disorders. This is one
of the many ways that the public can become more involved with the Eating Disorders
Coalition and their efforts in legislation.
Partnerships
One very effective way that the EDC transmits their message to the public is by
associating themselves with a recognizable spokesperson who people can identify
with (www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org). In 2002, former model Kate Dillon was
honored to be the EDC’S first spokesperson (www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org). She
herself struggled with severe anorexia during her adolescence. The former Vogue and
Glamour realized that if she did not get help she would die from the disease
(www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org). Dillon has been committed increasing eating
disorder awareness ever since and has presented her struggle to many Members of
Congress. Having a positive icon such as Dillon helps shed light on the cause and on
the EDC.
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Policy
The EDC uses various key messages in order to both educate and work hand in hand
with congress to effectively influence federal policy. All eating disorders pose severe
health risks for those affected, which is why the EDC’s primary goal is to raise the
awareness of these risks among policy makers and the general public
(www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org). In doing this, they wish to promote federal support
for improved access to care for those suffering from this disease
(www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org). Another key message that the EDC tirelessly
stresses to the public and Congress is the increased need for resources regarding the
research,
education,
and
prevention
of
eating
disorders
(www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org). Lastly, they encourage concerned citizens to
mobilize and advocate on behalf of those suffering from an eating disorder, their
families, and professionals within the field (www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org).
The EDC addresses Congress by creating and proposing bills to have passed. One of
their most successful and widely known bills is The Eating Disorders Awareness,
Prevention, and Education Act (www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org). It urges Congress
to raise awareness of the issue and create educational programs to prevent eating
disorders. The EDC urged congress to pass this bill for several reasons. Mainly due to
eating disorders high prevalence rate, affecting nearly 24 million Americans alone
(“Eating Disorders Statistics”). Also because eating disorders are on the rise—doubling
in incidences since the1960s—and increasingly seen affecting younger age groups
(www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org). Not to mention their negative impact on both
health
and
educational
advancement
and
achievement
(www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org). Although eating disorders have shown to have
negative impacts on the educational advancement of students, the issue is often
disregarded in the American public school system. This bill strives to ameliorate these
issues and make positive changes by implementing educational programs in public
schools.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Partner with relevant authority figures.
We live in a media saturated world in which a majority of the population is influenced
by authority figures and their opinions. These figures can be found in a number of
different fields; celebrities, doctors and legislators are some of many key influencers.
Members of the public oftentimes place trust and reliance on these people, and
therefore could act or think based on their suggestions. Creating partnerships with
these important figures is an effective and tactical method in raising awareness of
non-profit organizations which support the prevention and outreach of eating
disorders.
Partnering with a relevant figure who has personally struggled with an eating disorder
not only brings a greater awareness to the issue, but also creates the opportunity for
conversation within their respective fan base. Many organizations that focus upon
eating disorders lack a large social media following. In adopting a relevant
spokesperson, these numbers can feasibly rise if the authority figure uses social media
to publicize the cause. In addition, a spokesperson could appear in advertisements in
print, television and online to further advocate for the cause, which can spur a greater
national conversation.
Relevant authority figures can often set the agenda for the media, so incorporating
one or many into these non-profit organizations can help to better raise awareness of
the issue. Recently, the White House released a one-minute PSA featuring relevant
celebrities and policymakers addressing the issue of rape on college campuses. The
advertisement, which features President Obama, Steve Carell and other high profile
celebrities, attracted national attention for its “star” power, but more importantly sent
a message in communicating that rape is never O.K (Feldman).
The association of these important figures helped to better raise awareness of the
issue, and set the agenda for national conversation and coverage, as a number of
third-party sources covered the issue in response to its release. This is a strong and
effective tactic that could benefit organizations focusing on increasing awareness of
eating disorders on a national level.
Increase advertising on a national level in order to raise awareness of EDs in America.
Although eating disorders are recognized and often detailed in print and media, there
is a lack of its advertisement on a national level. Advertising is an effective strategy in
raising awareness of a pertinent issue. Increasing print, online and television
advertisements can help to further impact audiences that may have not otherwise
been aware of EDs in the United States. Increasing national advertising for non-profit
organizations can better help to reach a broader audience and call people to action.
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Additionally, increasing Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are a successful method
in appealing to the emotions of its viewers. These non-profit organizations could
benefit from these television spots as it could affect and therefore promote the effort
for advocating for EDs in the United States.
Create larger-scale national campaigns.
In order to create an impactful campaign, organizations should take into
consideration who their primary and secondary target audiences are, and research
what will appeal to them (Berger 30). They also need to consider the goals of the
campaign and their end goals. Creating partnerships with the right organizations and
spokespeople who embody their values and ideals is an essential method of creating
an impactful campaign (“Corporate Partnering”).
National advertising is also a critical step in creating a large-scale campaign. Using
different channels of media, from print to television to online, can increase awareness
and visibility of a campaign and its goals. Creating advertisements and PSAs that
incorporate some form of shock-value can better help engage and motivate its
consumers. Print advertisements should be strategically publicized in specific national
magazines and newspapers in order to attract members of their target audience.
Organizations should additionally aim to increase and attract a greater social media
presence. This can be done by tweeting or posting relevant issues happening in
relation to a campaign as well as promoting and engaging user-generated content.
Using social media outlets should be done often and consistently using a campaign’s
hashtag or key messages.
The organization should examine and evaluate their efforts throughout their campaign
and highlight what was or was not effective in doing so. This can help to better
strengthen and improve future efforts.
Increase online presence with social media.
Social networking websites have become an important, if not essential, means of
communicating key messages to the public. Organizations and companies have
benefitted in promoting their respective messages or products through these
channels; in fact, some non-profit organizations have attracted millions of followers or
‘likes’ on their social media pages. Creating a strong online presence is an effective
method in communicating key messages to the public audience. Because a majority
of patients who suffer with eating disorders fall into a younger demographic, using
social media is a relevant tool in reaching those affected. Another way to reach
targeted audiences is through the use of sponsored advertisements. By doing so, these
advertisements would appear on newsfeeds and timelines, better publicizing the nonprofit organization, which in turn could attract more followers or ‘likes.’
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Staying up to date with these social media tools is crucial step in maintaining
relevance and attracting viewers. Updating and uploading frequently on these
mediums can spur conversation, “shares,” and overall fan base. Social media updates
could additionally bolster and increase page viewerships on the organization’s main
website, which would offer more information and sources for support for those who
struggle day-to-day with eating disorders.
Implement eating disorder programs in schools/universities.
As the Eating Disorders Coalition suggested in their Eating Disorders Awareness,
Prevention, and Education Act, it is recommended that all United States public school
implement some sort of eating disorder programs into their middle school health
classes. Children between the ages of 12-14 are critically developing physically,
mentally, and socially. They undergo many changes and often become subject to
bullying and peer pressure. Implementing a unit on body image and eating disorders
throughout a semester of health would raise awareness about the issue and also
provide critical facts and information to children. When doing this, including resources
and prevention methods is key. Taking the approach of educating children will prove
to be a preventative measure and could help save lives.
page 23
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