BILL ANALYSIS
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | ACR 28|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 28
Author: Ma (D), et al
Amended: 6/2/09 in Assembly
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Read and adopted, 5/28/09
SUBJECT : Eating Disorders Awareness Week
SOURCE : National Eating Disorders Association
DIGEST : This resolution recognizes the weeks of February
22 through February 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 and the obstacles to treatment, and to
help people overcome and prevent these life-threatening
diseases.
ANALYSIS : This resolution makes the following
legislative findings:
1. Ten million women and one million men across the
country are battling illnesses such as anorexia and
bulimia, and millions more are suffering from binge
eating disorder.
2. An estimated 3.6 million women in California alone
CONTINUED
ACR 28
Page
2
struggle with an eating disorder.
3. Anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive overeating are
problems that are misunderstood, stigmatized, and
undertreated.
4. Anorexia is the psychiatric disorder with the highest
mortality rate.
5. Anorexia is linked to an 18-fold increase in the risk
of death, with up to 20 percent of sufferers dying of
malnutrition or dying by suicide.
6. Eating disorders are associated with substantial
psychological problems, including depression,
substance abuse, and suicide.
7. Eating disorders can lead to major medical
complications, including cardiac arrhythmia, cognitive
impairment, certain cancers, osteoporosis,
infertility, kidney failure, and death.
8. Eating disorders affect persons of every race, color,
gender, and socioeconomic category.
9. Eating disorders are increasing among people in
younger age groups and affect children as young as
seven years of age.
10. Media pressures and genetic, social, and familial
factors are all known to be related to eating
disorders.
11. Some physicians prematurely discharge patients with
anorexia nervosa due to limited opportunities to
obtain reimbursement.
12. Coverage and reimbursement for eating disorders
differ among various private and public health care
coverage options.
13. Eating disorders are treatable when diagnosed early
and treated sufficiently.
ACR 28
Page
3
14. Eating disorders have become a significant public
health concern that should be treated no less
seriously than obesity.
15. The government should take a proactive role in
developing preventive education, improving access to
care for all forms of eating disorders, including
binge eating and extreme dieting.
16. The California Legislature is concerned with
preserving and protecting the health of the state's
citizens.
This resolution recognizes the weeks of February 22 through
February 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 and the obstacles to treatment, and to help
people overcome and prevent these life-threatening
diseases.
Background
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
ACR 28
Page
4
adulthood. Women and girls are much more likely than males
to develop an eating disorder. Men and boys account for an
estimated 5-15 percent of patients with anorexia or bulimia
and an estimated 35 percent 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.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/24/09)
National Eating Disorders Association (source)
California School Nurses Organization
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
in California more than 4.1 million people suffer from
anorexia, bulimia, binging or some other unclassified
eating disorder. The author's office maintains that
anorexia is the third most common disorder amongst teens,
behind obesity and asthma. The National Eating Disorders
Association argues that eating disorders among young women
are increasing at an alarming rate 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.
CTW:nl 6/24/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****