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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Laxative abuse occurs when a person attempts to
3get rid of unwanted calories, lose weight, "feel thin", or
4"feel empty" through the repeated, frequent use of laxatives;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, The belief that laxatives are effective for weight
7control is a myth; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Often, laxatives are misused following eating
9binges, when the individual mistakenly believes that the
10laxatives will work to rush food and calories through the gut
11and bowels before they can be absorbed; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Laxative abuse is serious and dangerous - often
13resulting in a variety of health complications and sometimes
14causing life-threatening conditions; and
 
15    WHEREAS, According to the National Institute of Mental
16Health, 2.7% of American teens aged 13-18 suffer from a severe
17eating disorder; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Research shows that 10 to 60% of people with
19eating disorders also abuse laxatives; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, According to a study done by the American Journal
2of Psychiatry, mortality rates for eating disorders were 4% for
3anorexia nervosa, 3.9% for bulimia nervosa, and 5.2% for eating
4disorders not otherwise specified; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Teens who are expected to achieve significantly
6low weights due to athletics have also been known to abuse
7laxatives in order to reduce the water weight in their body
8before performances and weigh-ins; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Laxatives as a drug have the properties of
10tolerance and withdrawal, allowing users to become dependent on
11them; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Food and Drug Administration has issued a
13warning about the use of sodium phosphate laxatives; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Overcoming laxative abuse requires working with a
15team of health professionals who have expertise in treating
16eating disorders, including a general physician, a
17psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor, and a registered
18dietician; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21there is created the Task Force on Laxative Abuse within the

 

 

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1Department of Human Services Division of Alcoholism and
2Substance Abuse to develop a statewide plan to prevent the
3abuse of laxatives, particularly among minors; and be it
4further
 
5    RESOLVED, That the members of Task Force shall be appointed
6by the Secretary of Human Services no later than July 1, 2014;
7the Task Force shall include:
8    (1) the Director of the Department of Human Services
9    Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse or his or her
10    designee;
11    (2) the Director of the Department of Public Health or his
12    or her designee;
13    (3) the Superintendent of the State Board of Education or
14    his or her designee;
15    (4) two persons from families effected by eating disorders
16    or laxative abuse;
17    (5) two persons who are recovering from an eating disorder
18    or laxative abuse;
19    (6) two persons representing a national eating disorders
20    association;
21    (7) two persons representing statewide associations
22    representing nurses;
23    (8) two persons representing statewide education
24    associations;
25    (9) one person representing a statewide organization

 

 

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1    representing pediatricians;
2    (10) one person representing a statewide organization
3    representing family physicians;
4    (11) one person representing a statewide organization
5    representing psychiatrists;
6    (12) one person representing a statewide association
7    representing retailers; and
8    (13) one person representing a statewide association
9    representing merchants; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That the Department of Human Services shall
11facilitate the Task Force and provide the Task Force with
12administrative support; the Department shall convene the Task
13Force at least three times and issue a report with findings and
14recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor no
15later than January 1, 2015; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
17delivered to the Governor and the Secretary of the Department
18of Human Services.