Sen. Dodd Promotes Eating Disorders Awareness
SACRAMENTO – A resolution from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, designating the week of Feb. 25 to March 3, 2019 as Eating Disorders Awareness Week was adopted by the Senate by unanimous vote.
“I’ve seen firsthand how painful and difficult these disorders can be,” said Sen. Dodd. “I’ve also seen that recovery is possible. And I can attest to the importance of awareness, understanding and a strong support network for those on the journey to recovery.”
Across the United States, 30 million people suffer from clinically significant eating disorders at some time in their lives. Disorders can affect men and women and include anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week was established with the support of healthcare professionals, students, educators and social workers to raise awareness of the dangers of eating disorders and the need for early intervention and treatment.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 14 passed the Senate Thursday. The Assembly will vote on it next week. Supporters include Cielo House, the American Nurses Association, the Eating Disorders Resource Center, Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Treasurer Fiona Ma.
“For too long the media has focused on women being beautiful and thin, which can affect the eating habits of girls and young women,” said state Treasurer Fiona Ma. “I developed eating disorders when I went off to college. Complications to my body forced me to look inward and correct unhealthy habits. We need to talk more openly about this illness and not let eating disorders define us.”
“It is important that we recognize the social and health impacts of eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating,” said Sen. Wiener, a joint author of the resolution. “They cut across various communities and impact women and men, young and old, and people of all races and socioeconomic background.”
“I applaud Sen. Dodd for bringing this important issue to light,” said Janice Bremis, executive director of the Eating Disorders Awareness Center. “We must remove the stigma of disorders like anorexia and bulimia and continue talking about them so we can make progress toward finding the right solutions.”
Links:
Eating Disorders Resource Center: https://edrcsv.org/
National Eating Disorders Awareness Association helpline: (800) 931-2237
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Senator Bill Dodd represents California’s 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo, Sacramento, and Contra Costa counties. You can learn more about Senator Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.