Senators sponsor federal eating disorder bill

The Huffington Post reports that three US senators have sponsored the Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders (FREED) Act. Senators Al Franken (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Tom Harkin (D-IA) have introduced a wide-ranging bill aimed at improving education, diagnosis, and treatment of eating disorders. 

The bill would require the federal government to:

• Expand research into prevention and treatment of eating disorders
• Improve the training and education of health care providers and educators on eating disorders
• Improve national monitoring and data collection on the prevalence of eating disorders
• Take steps to prevent eating disorders by developing evidence-based prevention programs
• Provide additional avenues for effective and affordable treatment of eating disorders