Prior to leaving the National Eating Disorders Association                                                                         (NEDA) in protest of the decentering of marginalized voices                                                                    by the organization, Joslyn Smith served as NEDA’s                                                                                  Director of Public Policy & Community Relations. In that role                                                                    she was responsible for overseeing federal policy initiatives                                                                    of the organization—both legislative and regulatory—and                                                                        incorporating state-level work as it relates to combatting                                                                          weight discrimination. Prior to working for NEDA as a public                                                                    policy consultant, Joslyn was Director of Policy &                                                                                      Government Affairs for the Binge Eating Disorder                                                                                      Association (BEDA).

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                                                                  Previously, Joslyn was Senior Legislative Assistant for the                                                                        American Psychological Association’s (APA) Public Interest                                                                      Government Relations Office in Washington, DC where she led federal policy efforts addressing eating disorders and obesity prevention by bringing a Health At Every Size® perspective to policy discussions. Before her employment at APA, Joslyn served as a congressional intern in the office of then-Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, working closely with the Senator’s health staff on issues related to health and mental health.  For over almost two decades, Joslyn has been an outspoken advocate in the eating disorders and Health At Every Size® fields, presenting about and advocating for a reevaluation of misconceptions related to health and weight. 

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Since her struggle with an eating disorder began, Joslyn has used art, writing, personal and professional presentations, and political activism to educate and raise awareness around issues related to eating disorders.

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Encouraged by faculty at Scripps College, where she received her degree in Studio Arts, Joslyn honestly and intimately shares her journey through body shame and toward self acceptance through writing and art. As she has progressed in her recovery, Joslyn’s creative outlets have evolved from illustrating the distress of her eating disorder to reflecting her appreciation in body diversity and the power and peace she finds in feeling connected to her body.

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