Indiana Eating Disorders Coalition

Press Release:  INShape Indiana’s “Lose 10 in 10” Program

January 24, 2007

The Indiana State Department of Health recently began promoting its “Lose 10 in 10” weight loss program by way of public service announcements and press releases.  In particular, information regarding this weight loss program has been forwarded to many of Indiana’s colleges and universities. 

The Indiana Eating Disorders Coalition urges all faculty, administrators and staff at every level of education in the state of Indiana to refrain from promoting this or any other weight loss program to students.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, eating disorders such an anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the most lethal of all “mental illnesses.”  It is well documented that the average age of onset for eating disorders is between the ages of 14 and 18, and that students in high school, college, and university environments are especially susceptible to these serious medical conditions.

While there are certainly people in the state of Indiana whose health could be improved by losing the suggested 10 pounds, student populations are known to have significant numbers of eating disordered persons for whom any weight loss program will be inappropriate and dangerous.  Moreover, since many eating disorders treatment providers have observed that the open promotion of thinness and weight loss often triggers eating disordered behaviors in people struggling with these lethal conditions, the Indiana Eating Disorders Coalition warns that promotion of the “Lose 10 in 10” program in any academic classroom is inappropriate and may result in unintentional but great medical harm to students.

For more information about the Indiana Eating Disorders Coalition, please contact

Amy Kuehn: amster_71@comcast.net or Chris Kraatz: ckraatz@iupui.edu

or visit: http://www.iupui.edu/~philosop/iedc.htm.