The F.E.A.S.T. Speaker's Bureau volunteers are members who have agreed to consider media interviews. We do not endorse or investigate the credentials of journalists; we are passing on these queries as a courtesy and in hopes of getting parent voices into the media discussion of eating disorders.

While F.E.A.S.T. is eager to add caregiver-oriented voices to the public view of eating disorders, we also want to encourage responsible journalism and caution interviewees of potential issues.

•   Families can refuse to participate in exploitive or sensationalist interviews

•   Parents can ask for anonymity for themselves and their children, or use pseudonyms

•   Parents can refuse to answer questions about medical details like weights, and refuse to provide pictures of a patient when gravely ill

•   Before/After photos of patients are a potentially harmful visual cliché that misleads the public about a mental illness that cannot be understood by appearance

•   Families can ask for details of the planned piece, but need to know that there is no guarantee that the original vision will apply to the finished product

•   Journalists are rarely familiar with the stigma, history, or issues involved with eating disorders, and may hold antiquated ideas

•   Eating disorders are complex, but media reports are by design very simple and may miss important points

•   Parents should think through all possible consequences of public scrutiny of family and patient before agreeing to an interview

•   No family should feel pressured to do interviews or answer questions that cause them discomfort

For more information on media responsibility, please read NEDA’s Tips for Responsible Media Coverage.