NEDA Decries Discriminatory Practices of Texas Medical Center

April 9, 2012 - PRLog -- NEW YORK CITY — The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) speaks out against the hiring policy of a Texas medical center, which has damaging implications and has recently drawn outrage from residents, organizations and media in the state.

The policy enacted last year by the Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, Texas (midway between Corpus Christi and Houston, near the Gulf of Mexico) requires that potential employees have a body mass index of less than 35 and that an employee’s physique “should fit with a representational image or specific mental projection of the job of a healthcare professional,” including an appearance “free from distraction” for hospital patients.

Commented Lynn Grefe, president and CEO of NEDA, “Employers cannot discriminate against employees because of race, age or religion … yet this medical group is limiting its hiring practices based on appearance and what they find physically appealing. It is this type of discrimination that continues to create an environment and culture that facilitates unrealistic, supposed ideal body images and also fosters the development of poor self-esteem and eating disorders among those who are predisposed. It is a practice that must end now.”

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), headquartered in New York City, is the leading U.S. non-profit organization supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. NEDA serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures and access to quality care. Each year, NEDA helps millions of people across the country find information and appropriate treatment resources through its toll-free, live helpline, its many outreach programs and website. NEDA advocates for advancements in the field and envisions a world without eating disorders. For more information, visit www.NationalEatingDisorders.org

For Treatment Referrals, Visit www.NationalEatingDisorders.org
Or Contact NEDA’s Live Helpline:  800-931-2237
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (EST)

Contacts:    

Greenleaf & Associates — 323-660-5800
Vicki Greenleaf — vicki@greenleafandassociates.com
Karen Brundage — karen@greenleafandassociates.com  

Available for Interviews:
•  Lynn Grefe, President and CEO of NEDA.
•  Doctors, psychologists & other eating disorder treatment specialists throughout the country.
•  Recovered eating disorder patients.
•  NEDA ambassadors.