Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 17–Senators Wiener, Rawson, Mathews, Amodei, Titus, Care, McGinness, Neal, O’Connell, Schneider, Townsend and Washington

 

March 7, 2001

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Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

SUMMARY—Urges Commission on Mental Health and Developmental Services in cooperation with Department of Education, University and Community College System of Nevada and local school districts to take steps necessary to increase public awareness of certain eating disorders. (BDR R‑25)

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

Senate Concurrent RESOLUTION—Urging the Commission on Mental Health and Developmental Services in cooperation with the Department of Education, the University and Community College System of Nevada and local school districts to take the steps necessary to increase public awareness of certain eating disorders and inspire public support for the inclusion of eating disorders in the insurance benefits mandated for mental health coverage.

 

1-1    Whereas, Each year millions of people in the United States are

1-2  affected by serious and sometimes life-threatening eating disorders such as

1-3  compulsive or binge eating that may result in obesity, anorexia nervosa and

1-4  bulimia nervosa that cause immeasurable suffering for victims and their

1-5  families; and

1-6    Whereas, Research suggests that, conservatively, at least 1 percent of

1-7  female adolescents have anorexia, with cases occurring in children as

1-8  young as 6 years of age, at least 4 percent of college-aged women have

1-9  bulimia, and, while the percentage is significantly lower among males,

1-10  cases of eating disorders among young males are being reported with

1-11  increasing frequency; and

1-12    Whereas, A study reported by the Centers for Disease Control and

1-13  Prevention indicate that 61 percent of adults in the United States are

1-14  overweight, of which 26 percent are considered obese; and

1-15    Whereas, Without early treatment, eating disorders can lead to

1-16  physiological damage, some of which is irreversible, including irregular

1-17  heartbeat, kidney and liver damage, destruction of teeth, infertility, a

1-18  weakened immune system, anemia, malnutrition, loss of bone mass and

1-19  increased risk of certain cancers, diabetes and arthritis; and

1-20    Whereas, Eating disorders of this kind are treatable, particularly if they

1-21  are detected early, treated by trained therapists and supplemented by

1-22  support groups; and

2-1    Whereas, Treatment for such eating disorders, especially in advanced

2-2  cases, can be expensive as many victims require extensive medical

2-3  monitoring, with therapy generally extending over two or more years and

2-4  the possibility of inpatient treatment that can cost more than $30,000 a

2-5  month; and

2-6    Whereas, Although these eating disorders occur in persons of all ages,

2-7  backgrounds and body size, because these disorders primarily affect young

2-8  people in their teens and twenties, educational programs should focus on

2-9  adolescent groups and the parents, teachers and school counselors of

2-10  adolescents to maximize preventive efforts; and

2-11    Whereas, The devastating personal and social effects of eating

2-12  disorders can be alleviated by increased dissemination of information that

2-13  includes the nutritional requirements of persons in various age groups, the

2-14  dangers associated with certain patterns of eating, the recognition of both

2-15  the physical and psychological symptoms of eating disorders and the

2-16  importance of early treatment of these disorders to prevent serious

2-17  consequences; now, therefore, be it

2-18    Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the Assembly

2-19  Concurring, That the Commission on Mental Health and Developmental

2-20  Services in cooperation with the Department of Education, the University

2-21  and Community College System of Nevada and local school districts is

2-22  urged to direct the development of educational programs and materials

2-23  relating to eating disorders such as compulsive or binge eating, anorexia

2-24  nervosa and bulimia nervosa for use in schools and colleges in Nevada and

2-25  for general distribution throughout the State of Nevada to increase

2-26  awareness of eating disorders; and be it further

2-27    Resolved, That the Commission on Mental Health and Developmental

2-28  Services include as a part of those educational materials sufficient

2-29  information that will inspire Nevadans to support legislation to include

2-30  these eating disorders as part of the insurance benefits mandated for mental

2-31  health coverage; and be it further

2-32    Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and transmit a copy

2-33  of this resolution to Frances Brown, MSN, MSEd, RN, Chairman of the

2-34  Commission on Mental Health and Developmental Services, to the

2-35  Department of Education for transmittal to all public, private and charter

2-36  schools, and to the Board of Regents for transmittal to the universities and

2-37  community colleges of the University and Community College System of

2-38  Nevada.

 

2-39  H