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Some more incredible content is currently being developed by Gila Glassberg, MS, RDN, CDN, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor
and her team of interns. For more info visit her site http://gilaglassberg.weebly.com/

body health

This page will always be a work in progress. 

If you are interested in sponsoring this page or specific content please e-mail info@jproactive.com.

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worried you might have an eating disorder?

 

Eating disorders do not discriminate between genders, ages, races, religions, body shapes and weights, and socioeconomic statuses. So basically, nobody is immune.

 

If you do have an eating disorder, please understand that YOU didn't do anything to cause it.

 

EDs are complex and can be caused by a combination of biological (genetics, hormones, nutritional deficiencies), psychological (low self-esteem, negative body image, inter-generational baggage), and/or environmental factors (dysfunctional family situations, professions that promote or require a certain body type, developmental trauma, cultural issues, peer-pressure, stress). Eating disorders commonly co-exist with other conditions, like anxiety disorders, substance abuse, or depression. 

 

The good news is that the broader society seems to be coming around and accepting that "thin" often comes at a price that is not worth paying.
 

As a Jewish community, shifting mindsets sometimes takes a bit longer, but together we can make it happen. It HAS to happen, because eating disorders actually have the highest mortality rate of any other mental illness.* It is our communal responsibility to effect change because we now know that it can be pikuach nefesh (saving a life). 

Together, we can work to shift the culture.

Here are some signs to look out for:

 

According to the American Psychiatric Association, "red flags" of an eating disorder can include;

  • Excessively talking about fat, weight or calories.

  • A pattern of eating a limited choice of foods and/or a pattern of occasional binge eating foods.

  • Excessive exercise or excessively standing, pacing or fidgeting.

  • Severely limiting the amount of calories consumed to avoid weight gain. 

  • Vomiting after meals or abusing laxative, diuretic and diet pills.

  • Feeling self-conscious about one’s eating behaviors. 

  • Avoidance of social eating settings, preferring to eat alone.

  • Intermittent fasting is under consideration to include in disordered eating behaviors.

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* Smink, F. E., van Hoeken, D., & Hoek, H. W. (2012). Epidemiology of eating disorders: Incidence, prevalence and mortality rates. Current Psychiatry Reports,14(4), 406-414.

WAIT! BEFORE YOU SCROLL DOWN... 
If you feel like it's an emergency, call your local emergency number!
If you think you may have an eating disorder
and it's not an emergency, please
try reaching out to some of these organizations below 
to find the practical help you need.

 
Our resources are only here to encourage your journey,
not to take it for you. 

JEWISH SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

MAGEN AVROHOM NY
Education, awareness, advocacy, referrals, mentoring.

Click here

FIND A JEWISH THERAPIST
Find a Jewish therapist that is specific to your needs.

OKCLARITY

JEWISH REFERRAL ORGANIZATIONS

These organizations are around to help you
navigate the system:

Relief - Ask for Devorah Levinson

MASK

*In addition to above, your local Jewish Family Services organizations will likely have some great programs and referral options within your area. 

GENERAL SUPPORT

TAKE A SCREENING TEST

Click here

NATIONAL EATING DISORDER INFORMATION CENTRE (NEDIC)

Information, resources, referrals and support.

Click here

 

NATIONAL EATING DISORDERS ASSOCIATION (NEDA)
Lots of online resources & support. 

Click here

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Phew...
now that you have taken the first step to getting the right kind of help,
enjoy browsing our collection of interesting resources below.
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VIDEOS

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The Eleventh Commandment: Thou Must Diet
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The Eleventh Commandment: Thou Must Diet

Whether you're shidduch dating or married, a young girl trying to eat a sweet or a woman trying to fit into a dress, the community constantly examines you to make sure it fits into their idea of what a female body should look like. Has it always been like this? More importantly, what's the alternative? How can the Jewish community support the development of strong, confident, and intuitive girls and women today? Filmed at the William Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum in Atlanta, Georgia in cooperation with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. Sara, Founder of Fit Jewess, is a fitness coach with the mission of connecting Jewish women worldwide and fostering a community united through fitness. Born and raised in the Orthodox community, Sara instantly knew that was the market she wanted to work with, where she could bring her knowledge and experience of functional fitness and Judaism together. Sara takes a body positive, weight-neutral approach to health and this is apparent in her training style. She encourages her clients to see exercise as a way to become empowered and feel more confident by increasing energy, gaining strength and discovering how amazingly capable their bodies are. Tzivie Pill is a certified Eating Psychology Coach pursuing her MSW at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. Her work focuses on helping women in the Orthodox Jewish community address disordered eating and negative body image, and develop healthier relationships with food and body through intuitive eating and weight-neutral approaches to health and wellness. Tzivie's articles have appeared on Kveller, Fatitude, and in The Jewish Home, and you can follow her on Instagram at nourish_keit. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, Shlomo, and daughters, Arial and Minnie.
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