Two months into his summer break last year, Matthew Brown began to worry he had an eating disorder. Brown, who was then about to enter Merrimack High School as a freshman, did not want to talk to his parents about it. But he did want answers.
After a Google search, Brown found the National Eating Disorders Association hotline. The service offered a calling and a texting option; Brown chose texting. Quickly, he was put in touch with a trained volunteer, who helped him better understand his concerns.
“I think just getting it off my chest was helpful,” he said. “To have somebody just to talk to.”
Within a day, Brown had found the support he needed. The next day, he called up a local lawmaker, Rep. Rosemarie Rung, with an idea: to sponsor legislation to spread the word to other students.
House Bill 35 would require that all student