NORWALK, Conn., January 30, 2009 – Here she comes…Miss America! For many, these words conjure up images of hope, health and vitality. But that wasn't always the case for Kirsten Haglund, Miss America 2008, who battled an eating disorder from the ages of 12 to 17. Now 20 years old and at a healthy weight, Kirsten is speaking publicly about her battle with anorexia to raise funds to treat eating disorders, and create awareness of the disease and how to treat it.

On Saturday, February 28th, Kirsten is making a difference locally. Sponsored by the Stew Leonard III Children's Charities, Kirsten will speak at a private fundraising dinner being held at Kim and Stew Leonard, Jr.'s home to raise monies for an eating disorders clinic that treats patients free of charge. Before the dinner, she will make a public appearance at Stew Leonard’s Norwalk store from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. to meet her fans, sign autographs and answer questions.

"More than 10 million people in the United States are struggling with anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders," said Diane Mickley, MD, Director of the Wilkins Center in Greenwich who partnered with the Stew Leonard III Children's Charities foundation on this effort. "The cost of treating someone with anorexia can exceed a whopping $100,000. Unfortunately, many do not have health insurance to help pay for treatment, others have insurance plans that do not cover eating disorders treatment, and for those with health insurance paying for treatment, only a portion is covered, leaving patients to pay out of pocket for the remainder."

"Dr. Mickley introduced us to Dr. Pauline Powers, a nationally recognized eating disorders expert who started The University of South Florida Hope House for Eating Disorders (Hope House), a pilot project that provides supplemental programming, free of charge, for people suffering from eating disorders and their loved ones," said Stew Leonard, Jr. founder of the Stew Leonard III Children's Charities whose mission is to impact the growth and development of children through nutrition education. “The goal is to work toward replicating the Hope House concept in cities across the country, providing necessary treatment for those who can't afford it. Having Miss America lend her support to this campaign really helps shine the spotlight on this cause. She has a very powerful story."

As part of her speaking appearance at the Leonards' home, Kirsten will recount her ordeal, sharing her personal incentives for wanting to get better and advice for what worked in her case. Kirsten will also talk about the role her friends and family played in her treatment and recovery.

Kirsten's battle with disordered eating started when she was just 12 years old and her struggle progressed to anorexia. With support from her team of specialists and dedicated family, Kirsten worked hard to overcome her illness and returned to a healthy weight at the age of 17. While physically recovered, she still had to overcome the psychological barriers, committing every day to applying what she learned during treatment.

"You can go through the motions of treatment, but to fully recover, you have to want it and actively pursue it," explains Kirsten. "My motivation to get better came from two places. First, I noticed the physical toll anorexia was inflicting on my body—an irregular heart beat, poor circulation, constant fatigue and depression. I had no love for ballet, friends or anything anymore. That was scary. Second, I wanted to do things. I always had big dreams, aspirations and goals. I didn't want an eating disorder interrupting those plans. When told the reality of the consequences of anorexia, I realized the only way I could prevent that from happening was embracing recovery, whatever that required."

Identifying an opportunity to create an open dialogue about the issue in the media and fashion and beauty industries, Kirsten chose eating disorders as her Miss America public speaking platform. Now that her reign has ended, Kirsten plans to continue to bring media attention to the issue. Her Norwalk appearance is just one stop in a week-long speaking tour for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, which runs from February 22 through February 28, 2009.

Like many diseases, the earlier eating disorders are identified and treated, the better the likelihood of recovery. If you think a loved one is experiencing an eating disorder, reach out and take action. To learn more about the different types of eating disorders, their warning signs and symptoms, and how to get help, go to The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), www.nationaleatingdisorders.org, and The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), www.anad.org, websites.

About The Wilkins Center
Located in Greenwich, CT, The Wilkins Center is one of the nation's foremost outpatient centers for state-of-the-art treatment of eating disorders, nutritional and weight problems and general emotional difficulties in children, adolescents and adults. The Center has provided comprehensive treatment, with coordinated medical, nutritional and psychiatric services, to more than 6,000 patients and their families. For more information, visit www.wilkinscenter.com.

About Stew Leonard III Children's Charities
The Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation was founded in 1990 with the mission to save lives through water safety education and awareness for both children and adults. Since then, the foundation's mission has expanded to promoting safe and responsible growth and development in kids through nutritional awareness and water safety and is now called the Stew Leonard III Children's Charities. Since its inception, over $1 million have been raised to help teach kids learn how to swim and educate them about the importance of healthy eating and exercise. For more information, visit www.stewietheduck.com.