Senate committee advances Corrado bills to address eating disorders, expand student support
TRENTON, N.J. — Two bipartisan bills aimed at increasing awareness of eating disorders and expanding mental health support services for students advanced Thursday in the Senate Budget Committee.
The measures, sponsored by Sen. Kristin Corrado, a Republican from Passaic County, seek to improve prevention efforts and strengthen support services for New Jersey students in grades K-12.
“Kids today are not just exposed to unhealthy and often unrealistic body standards, they’re immersed in them nearly every day,” Corrado said. “As students form their sense of self, constant comparisons to unrealistic expectations quietly distort how many see their own bodies, laying the groundwork for unhealthy habits. That’s why it is important that we invest in children’s health early, before those pressures take hold and create lifelong struggles.”
The bills, S-3329 and S-3862, received bipartisan support and focus on research, education and expanded access to mental health resources for vulnerable populations.
S-3329 would establish the Disordered Eating Prevention Research Grant Pilot Program. The bill directs the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, working in coordination with the Department of Health, to conduct a statewide study examining the causes of eating disorders, as well as strategies for prevention and reduction. Supporters say the research would help improve public awareness and health care responses.
The second bill, S-3862, would expand the scope of the New Jersey Statewide Student Support Services program to include eating disorder awareness, prevention, counseling and referral services. The program currently operates in 15 regional hubs and provides supplemental mental health services to students related to bullying, suicide prevention, substance abuse and teen pregnancy.
Corrado said expanding the program would ensure schools are better equipped to identify and respond to disordered eating behaviors before they escalate.
