ASSEMBLY, No. 2128

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED JUNE 3, 1996

 

 

By Assemblywoman TURNER, Assemblymen FELICE, Romano, Gusciora, Lance, Garcia and Assemblywoman Weinberg

 

 

An Act establishing a public information and education program on the prevention and treatment of eating disorders and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Eating Disorders Information and Education Act."

 

    2. The Legislature finds and declares that:

    a. Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, as well as eating disorders not otherwise defined;

    b. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia can each result in death, cardiac impairments, depression, substance abuse, osteoporosis, infertility, amenorrhea, anemia and other medical conditions;

    c. Medical authorities are uncertain to what extent eating disorders are caused by physiological or psychosocial factors, respectively, or by both; and

    d. More than 15 million Americans suffer from eating disorders; and, although approximately 90% of the people experiencing these disorders are women, studies are beginning to document a growing number of men with eating disorders.

 

    3. The Commissioner of Health shall establish a program to provide information and education to the general public about eating disorders. The program shall include the operation on a 24-hour daily basis of a toll-free telephone hotline service to provide information to the public about eating disorders, including referrals for services for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. The program shall provide for the use of trained volunteers to supplement the staff of the telephone hotline service.

 

    4. The Commissioner of Health, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.

 

    5. This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill establishes a program in the Department of Health to provide information and education to the general public about eating disorders. The program shall include the operation of a toll-free telephone hotline service to provide information to the public about eating disorders 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including referrals to appropriate prevention and treatment services.

 

 

                             

 

"Eating Disorders Information and Education Act."