The movement to promote early detection and prevention of eating disorders among adolescent girls got a boost in September with a $1 million grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Women’s Health. The grant is part of HHS’s effort to expand prevention and awareness of eating disorders, and thus to improve care and reduce stigma, according to Dr. Dorothy Fink, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health and Director of the Office on Women’s Health.
The awards are going to programs at Washington University, St. Louis, MO, and George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. Spurred by the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased barriers to care for eating disorders, the grants will address gaps in care by developing partnerships among primary care clinicians, nutritionists, and community organizations, according to Dr. Fink.
