South Carolina General Assembly

115th Session, 2003-2004

S. 1235

STATUS INFORMATION

Senate Resolution

Sponsors: Senators Fair, Alexander, Anderson, Branton, Courson, Cromer, Drummond, Elliott, Ford, Giese, Glover, Gregory, Grooms, Hawkins, Hayes, Hutto, Jackson, Knotts, Kuhn, Land, Leatherman, Leventis, Malloy, Martin, Matthews, McConnell, McGill, Mescher, Moore, O'Dell, Patterson, Peeler, Pinckney, Rankin, Ravenel, Reese, Richardson, Ritchie, Ryberg, Setzler, Sheheen, Short, J.Verne Smith, Thomas, Verdin and Waldrep

Document Path: l:\s-res\mlf\006gast.mrh.doc

Introduced in the Senate on May 12, 2004

Adopted by the Senate on May 12, 2004

Summary: Gastric bypass surgery

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

DateBodyAction Description with journal page number

5/12/2004SenateIntroduced and adopted SJ11

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

5/12/2004

A SENATE RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY FOR TREATMENT OF MORBID OBESITY BY BOARD CERTIFIED BARIATRIC SURGEONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA Surgical Centers of Excellence.

Whereas, according to multiple scientific reports, including the 1991 National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus report, morbid or clinically severe obesity is a serious disease and must be treated as such. Perhaps no other medical condition has been more misunderstood, mistreated, or misrepresented; and

Whereas, obesity is classified as a disease because it causes pain and suffering, may be inherited, and can cause death. Obesity is considered to be the second leading cause of preventable death in America, killing over 300,000 annually; and

Whereas, gastric bypass surgery offers significant medical advantages in addition to lasting excess weight loss. International and national outcome studies show that morbidly obese patients who suffer from high blood pressure, adult onset diabetes, sleep apnea, arthritis, and other medical conditions experience an improvement or elimination of this condition following surgery; and

Whereas, when patients over the age of eighteen who are one hundred pounds or more over their ideal body weight and when documented dietary attempts are ineffective, gastric bypass surgery is the medical recommendation for preserving life; and

Whereas, gastric bypass surgery improves health by achieving lasting weight loss that reduces life-threatening risk factors, improves self-esteem, and enhances activities of daily living. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the Senate, by this resolution, recognize the importance of gastric bypass surgery for treatment of morbid obesity by board certified bariatric surgeons in South Carolina surgical centers of excellence.

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