PROCLAMATION 6215—OCT. 24, 1990 104 STAT. 5435 ness Week" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week. NOW, THEREFORE. I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of October 21 through October 27, 1990, as World Population Awareness Week. I invite all Americans to observe this week with appropriate programs and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty- fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifteenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 6215 of October 24, 1990 Eating Disorders Awareness Week, 1990 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Anorexia nervosa and bulimia, collectively known as eating disorders, are emotional disorders that can lead to serious physical illness and even death. Anorexia nervosa is expressed in deliberate self-starvation, which is manifested in an extreme aversion to food. It is closely related to, and often accompanied by, bulimia, which is marked by binge eating and purging. Experts who have studied eating disorders estimate that one out of every 100 women between the ages of 12 and 25 suffers from anorexia nervosa, and that one of every seven women in the same age group develops bulimia. However, they also note that nearly 10 percent of all patients referred to eating disorder clinics are men. Although the causes of anorexia nervosa and bulimia are still imknown, researchers believe that a combination of psychological, environmental, and physiological factors contribute to the development of one or both of these disorders. Treatment for anorexia and bulimia entails a combination of medical care and psychotherapy for the patient, as well as coimseling for parents, spouses, and siblings. The patient's participation in a self-help group is an adjimct to medical and psychiatric care. Advances in our understanding of anorexia nervosa and bulimia have been made possible through the concerted efforts of scientists, physicians, and counselors, as well as victims and their families. Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institutes of Health are working to discover the causes of these disorders and are using a multidisciplinary approach to diagnose and treat them. Private voluntary organizations such as the American Anorexia/Bulimia Association, the National Anorexic Aid Society, and the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders offer information regarding treatment centers, hospitals, clinics, and doctors specializing in eating disorders.
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