*Note: Below, we ask you to RSVP for the webinar-- once you RSVP with a preferred email, we will send out Zoom info for the panel closer to the date!*

Panel Details:

Friday, October 30th
1-2pm EST

Sponsored by: the ABCT Obesity and Eating Disorder Special Interest Group and the Academy for Eating Disorders Early Career Investigators Special Interest Group

Panelists:

Dr. Pamela Keel, Florida State University
Dr. Mark Chavez, National Institute of Health
Dr. Angus MacDonald III, University of Minnesota
Dr. Robert Krueger, University of Minnesota

Moderators: Dr. Cheri Levinson and Dr. Erin Reilly

Background & Panel Description: Eating disorders are serious psychiatric illnesses, carrying high morbidity, mortality, and financial and societal burden. In 2018 and 2019, the societal cost of eating disorders was estimated at $64.7 billion with 10,000 deaths in the last year alone. Despite the high costs and impairment, funding and treatments for eating disorders are lacking. For example, funding for eating disorder research is unacceptably low, with only .73 cents allotted per impacted individual. This pales in comparison to other mental health research priorities, such as autism and schizophrenia, which are allotted $58.65 and $86.97 per impacted individual, respectively. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the lack of funding, treatments for eating disorders are often subpar, with only 50% of adults with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder responding to ‘gold-standard’ treatments. Further, there are no existing medications or evidence-based treatments with documented efficacy for adult anorexia nervosa. This treatment gap is further complicated by the fact that eating disorder research is overwhelmingly more likely to be published in specialty journals, with significantly lower rates of acceptance in broad field-wide outlets and lower attendance by eating disorder experts at non-specialty conferences. There is a strong need for change in the eating disorder field. More funding, better treatments, and wider impact from scholars in multiple fields are needed. This webinar draws on the expertise of scholars with decades of experience both within and outside the eating disorder field to address this problem. The ultimate goal of this webinar is to begin a discussion of what eating disorder scholars can do to help increase the impact of the eating disorder field, and ultimately decrease the unacceptable levels of suffering in those with eating disorders.