BILL ANALYSIS
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
ACR 28 (Ma)
As Amended June 1, 2009
Majority vote
HEALTH 19-0 APPROPRIATIONS
17-0
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|Ayes:|Jones, Fletcher, Adams, |Ayes:|De Leon, Nielsen, |
| |Ammiano, Block, Carter, | |Ammiano, |
| |Conway, De La Torre, | |Charles Calderon, |
| |De Leon, Emmerson, Gaines, | |Davis, Duvall, |
| |Hall, Hayashi, Hernandez, | |Fuentes, Hall, Harkey, |
| |Bonnie Lowenthal, Nava, V. | |Miller, |
| |Manuel Perez, Salas, | |John A. Perez, Price, |
| |Audra Strickland | |Skinner, Solorio, |
| | | |Audra Strickland, |
| | | |Torlakson, Krekorian |
|-----+----------------------------+-----+-----------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Declares February 22 through 28, 2009, and February 21
through February 27, 2010, as Eating Disorders Awareness Week
and encourages citizens and policymakers to learn more about
eating disorders. Specifically, this resolution :
1)Encourages citizens and policymakers to learn more about
eating disorders and the obstacles to treatment, and to help
people overcome and prevent these life-threatening diseases.
2)Makes numerous declarations and findings related to eating
disorders.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, there are no costs associated with this resolution.
COMMENTS : According to the author, in California more than 4.1
million people suffer from anorexia, bulimia, binging or some
other unclassified eating disorder. The author maintains that
anorexia is the third most common disorder amongst teens, behind
obesity and asthma. The National Eating Disorders Association
(NEDA), the sponsor of this resolution, argues that eating
disorders among young women are increasing at an alarming rate
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in California and across the nation. The purpose of this
resolution is to raise public awareness about the challenges in
accessing adequate medical care to battle eating disorders and
to advocate for prevention programs to combat this growing and
deadly epidemic.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an
eating disorder is marked by extremes. It is present when a
person experiences severe disturbances in eating behavior, such
as extreme reduction of food intake or extreme overeating, or
feelings of extreme distress or concern about body weight or
shape. Eating disorders are very complex, and despite
scientific research to understand them, the biological,
behavioral and social underpinnings of these illnesses remain
elusive. The two main types of eating disorders are anorexia
nervosa and bulimia nervosa. A third category is "eating
disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS)," which includes
several variations of eating disorders. Most of these disorders
are similar to anorexia or bulimia but with slightly different
characteristics. Binge-eating disorder, which has received
increasing research and media attention in recent years, is one
type of EDNOS.
The NIMH maintains that eating disorders frequently appear
during adolescence or young adulthood, but some reports indicate
that they can develop during childhood or later in adulthood.
Women and girls are much more likely than males to develop an
eating disorder. Men and boys account for an estimated 5 - 15%
of patients with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35% of
those with binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders are
treatable medical illnesses with complex underlying
psychological and biological causes. They frequently co-exist
with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance
abuse, or anxiety disorders. People with eating disorders also
can suffer from numerous other physical health complications,
such as heart conditions or kidney failure, which can lead to
death.
Researchers are unsure of the underlying causes and nature of
eating disorders. Unlike a neurological disorder, which
generally can be pinpointed to a specific lesion on the brain,
an eating disorder likely involves abnormal activity distributed
across brain systems. With increased recognition that mental
disorders are brain disorders, more researchers are using tools
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from both modern neuroscience and modern psychology to better
understand eating disorders.
Supporters of this resolution include: NEDA, the California
School Nurses Organization and the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees.
Analysis Prepared by : Tanya Robinson-Taylor / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0001209