A citizen advocates for those with eating disorders in her state
Annie Seal’s first lobbying experience even caught her by surprise. “I was just getting out of my car while my state representative was walking around the neighborhood. I said, ‘I want to talk to you about eating disorders, I want to know if there is anything we can do about [insurance coverage and treatment],’” Seal recalls.
Katie Seal advocates for those in Missouri
Seal’s daughter (Katie), now recovered, joins her mom when they travel to Jefferson City, MO, (their state capital) to lobby for those with eating disorders. Getting her daughter treatment was a struggle, Seal said, because her insurance company determined the length of treatment, instead of letting the treatment team make that call, and they based their decision solely on her daughter’s weight.
Annie Seal is not the type of person who comes to mind when someone hears the word “Lobbyist.” According to The Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC) for Research Policy & Action, to most people that word means “big money, oil, pharmaceuticals, and expensive suits…lobbying is really individuals just like you who come to Capitol Hill and meet with Members of Congress to share your personal triumphs and struggles of how eating disorders have impacted your life.”
It’s really that simple. After meeting her representative, Seal set up a time to talk with her about eating disorders. “Meeting with your legislator is as simple as calling your legislator. They want to know what you care about. I’m shocked at how easy it is and how helpful they are. I even ask if they have colleagues who would support this cause and they will give me other names,” Seal said. She did some research on eating disorders in her state (mental health laws, how pervasive EDs are in MO, typical length of treatment, etc.) and put together a small packet to show her representative. After hearing Seal’s story, her representative agreed to join the cause.
Without formal training, Seal became a citizen advocate. With the help of the EDC, she drafted a bill that her representative has supported. And in the summer of 2010, she testified in support of legislation that became law in August of that year, establishing a Missouri Eating Disorders Council to develop and implement eating disorder education and awareness programs.
Currently, there are at least ten states with active eating disorders legislation, and two federal bills are being considered, one in the House and one in the Senate. That is a great start, but there are many more states in need of reform, and many more stories to be heard. Seal says her goal is to “raise awareness and mobilize whoever I can.” She wants people to know that they don’t have to be passive because they aren’t a professional or don’t understand every aspect of mental health law. Anyone can be a citizen advocate by attending a lobby day, writing a letter, or setting up a meeting with their representative.
ANAD tracks advocacy news and legislation across the U.S. on its Legislative Advocacy page at anad.org. Find your rep. and contact him or her today! As Seal knows firsthand, “You can be empowered; you will be in charge [of increasing awareness] for the first time.”