HARRISBURG, February 16, 2010 – State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Delaware/Montgomery) announced that he will host his first Women’s Lecture Series panel discussion on eating disorder awareness and health reform Saturday, February 20. The event will be held at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“If we come together and raise awareness about eating disorders, we will let those who suffer from them know that they are not alone,” Leach said. “I hope that my panel discussion will give people the resources they need to receive treatment or to pass that information along to friends and loved ones.”
The Women’s Lecture Series will feature a screening of the PBS documentary, “Nova: Dying to be Thin”, followed by a panel discussion about Leach’s proposed Senate Bill 1138. Panel members will include Leach, Dr. Wendy Cramer, MEd and Dr. Kim Johnson, PhD from the Renfrew Center, and a former Renfrew Center patient.
S.B. 1138, awaiting consideration in the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, would provide better access to treatment for the thousands of Pennsylvanians who suffer from eating disorders. Under the bill, Pennsylvania’s health insurers would cover non-hospital, in-patient treatment for eating disorders and the underlying issues that may cause them.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 5 American women struggle with an eating disorder, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating. Without treatment, up to 15 percent of individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder will die or suffer from long-term chronic illness as a result.
WHAT: Sen. Leach’s Women’s Lecture Series | Eating Disorders: A Panel Discussion on Awareness and Health Reform
WHEN: Saturday, February 20 |
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
WHERE: Bryn Mawr Film Institute |
824 West Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr
Media attendance is encouraged.
###
