title: Disordered eating and religious observance: a focus on ultra-Orthodox Jews in an adult community study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To broaden the socio-cultural context of eating disturbances by exploring religious observance and its presumed protective role for ultra-Orthodox women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Detailed telephone interviews with community sample of adult Jewish women in Israel, including 261 ultra-Orthodox. Frequency of 14 symptoms of disordered eating (DEB) assessed. Hierarchical regressions examine predictors of DEB severity within observance categories (ultra-Orthodox, Orthodox, Traditional, and Secular).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contrary to expectations, no significant differences were found in the frequency of serious DEB between the most and least religiously observant, ultra-Orthodox, and Secular women. Regressions reveal similar predictors of DEB severity (obesity followed by self-criticism) as well as substantial variations in amount of variance explained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Apparently, rigorous religious adherence does not protect ultra-Orthodox women from serious eating problems. Additional analyses can inform socio-cultural perspectives by examining the connection between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in this insular and isolated religious community, whose exposure to secular media is prohibited.
authors.affiliation: Falk Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, Jerusalem, Israel. falk1@012.net.il
authors.forename: Marjorie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Feinson
authors.forename: Adi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007557:Israel; D007585:Jews / Q000523:psychology*; D007599:Judaism; D008875:Middle Aged