(RNS1-JUL27) Faryn Hart, seen here in the garden of the eco-friendly Hostel in the Forest sustainable farm and retreat center in Brunswick, Ga., struggled with an eating disorder because of pressure from her Orthodox Jewish family. She now says she has a more controlled relationship with food. For use with RNS-ORTHO-EATING, transmitted July 27, 2010. RNS photo courtesy Faryn Hart. | Download/Purchase this photo
July 27, 2010
NEWS FEATURE
Eating disorders a hidden problem for Orthodox Jews
By Eleanor Goldberg
RNS-ORTHO-EATING
(RNS) It's a largely hidden problem, both within the strict confines of Orthodox Judaism and among psychologists charged with treating it: A 1996 study of Orthodox teenage girls found that one in 19 had an eating disorder, about 50 percent higher than the general population. At residential treatment centers in Florida and Philadelphia, the percentage of Jewish patients had inched up to 13 percent, up 5 percentage points from 2007. Eleanor Goldberg reports.