Overview of Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders in Israel: Prevalence and Treatment

Israel is a multicultural nation to which Jews have immigrated from a multitude of countries in an exceptionally brief period. Furthermore, Israeli society includes many ethnic and religious groups. It is anchored in ancient traditions yet poised at the apex of cutting-edge technology. Therefore, Israel presents a unique opportunity to study the role of sociocultural parameters in the development of eating disorders (EDs) and disordered eating (DE) because of its exceptional diversity. In the present chapter, we describe the present state of the art concerning disordered eating (DE) and EDs in Israel from varied perspectives and among different subgroups, including female and male Jewish and Arab adolescents, different Jewish subpopulations, religious and ultra-Orthodox groups, and women from kibbutzim. Additionally, we describe prevention and treatment settings and methods, including unique online hospitalization for ultra-Orthodox adolescent girls, innovative rehabilitation treatment developed in Israel, treatment during military service, treatment during COVID-19, and description of a special national prevention act, developed for the first time in Israel through legislation. We discuss the high rate of DE-related pathology among Israeli adolescents in light of Israel being a culture in transition and constant survival mode, given its exposure to the risk of terrorism and war. The low rates of DE among Israeli Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jewish populations reflect the traditional non-Westernized characteristics of their culture and the presence of conflicts between modern and traditional values.