Kosher Eating Disorder Treatment for the Jewish Community

Eating and food preparation are important parts of the Jewish culture. Certain food restrictions are a key part of staying close to religious traditions for some Jewish people. Most Jewish celebrations are accompanied by kosher food, and for people who are susceptible to eating disorders, it can be tough to fully enjoy all that the Jewish culture has to offer. For people who are living with eating disorders or disordered eating patterns, keeping kosher can present certain challenges that require special attention when it comes to the recovery process.

Here, we’ll explore whether Jewish people are more likely to develop eating disorders than people in other cultures, what the word kosher means, how individuals in recovery can keep kosher, and how our eating disorder recovery program allows you to stay true to religious dietary restrictions.

Are Jewish People at a High Risk of Developing Eating Disorders?

People from all races and cultures can develop eating disorders and patterns of disordered eating. For some people who are already susceptible to eating disorders due to genetic and environmental factors, the addition of religious dietary restrictions–such as keeping kosher–may make it harder to maintain a healthy mindset when it comes to food.

A 2008 study showed that Jewish females were more likely to develop disordered eating patterns than those of non-Jewish descent. A 2016 study showed that Modern Orthodox Jewish female adolescents were 50% more likely to develop an eating disorder than other young women.

It’s important to note that it’s completely possible to eat healthily while maintaining a kosher diet, and there’s nothing about kosher restrictions that are specifically linked to developing patterns of disordered eating. When combined with other risk factors (such as anxiety, body dysmorphia, or depression), people who keep kosher may find that they have a reason to add additional rigidity to their diets, which may result in disordered eating patterns or diagnosed eating disorders.

What is a Kosher Diet?

A kosher diet has certain restrictions on what types of foods a person following the diet can eat. There are also restrictions on how foods need to be prepared in order to be considered kosher.

The kosher diet separates foods into three categories: meat, dairy, and pareve. The pareve category includes all foods that are not in the meat and dairy categories.

Here, we’ll explore each part of the kosher diet.

Meat

The kosher diet has certain rules around what types of meats a person may eat, as well as how they must be prepared. Jewish people who are following a kosher diet may not consume pork in any form.

No matter what type of animal a meat comes from, a person following a kosher diet cannot consume blood, brain tissue, nerves, or certain types of animal fats. Meats that are considered kosher must have been butchered by a shochet, a person who has been trained to follow Jewish rules during the slaughter and butchering process.

Jewish people who follow a kosher diet are permitted to eat most kinds of domesticated poultry, including geese, quail, dove, turkey, and chicken, as long as the animal is slaughtered appropriately. The rules for red meat are a bit trickier. The kosher diet rules state that a person can eat meat from animals that chew cud (digest the grasses that they eat more than once) and have split hooves. Sheep, cows, deer, and goats fit into this category. The kosher diet does not allow the consumption of carnivores.

The kosher diet only allows for the consumption of milk from kosher animals. Dairy and meat cannot be served on the same plate or consumed together. Yogurt and butter usually qualify as kosher. Cheese is not typically kosher, as most cheeses use an enzyme found in the soutaches of cows (rennet) to create cheese curds. Eggs are nearly always considered kosher and are permitted to be consumed with dairy products.

This catch-all category includes vegetables, grains, seafood, fruits, and nuts. While most foods in this category are considered kosher, there are some rules around seafood. In order for seafood to be considered kosher, it must have fins or scales. Shellfish are not permitted on a kosher diet. There’s no doubt about it: following a kosher diet will provide all the calories, vitamins, and nutrients that a person needs to live a healthy lifestyle. That being said, people who are predisposed to eating disorders may find that keeping a kosher diet makes it hard to steer clear of disordered eating patterns. If you’re someone who is living with an eating disorder while keeping kosher and you’re ready to begin the recovery process, it’s key that you work with a facility that understands your dietary needs.

Seudat Mitzvah: A Challenge for Those with Disordered Eating Patterns

Some Jewish people who experience symptoms of disordered eating may struggle with the seudat mitzvah, a large festive meal that follows important life events. People who are uncomfortable with eating large meals may feel the need to restrict their caloric intake in the days or weeks leading up to the large meal or may feel the need to purge (through excessive exercise or vomiting) or restrict following the meal.

In addition to exhibiting disordered eating in the times before and after the seudat mitzvah, it’s common to experience mental health distress. People who are overly concerned with their eating, weight, and appearance may struggle with their self-esteem following a large meal, and may find that they struggle to enjoy cultural celebrations due to the stressors caused by their disordered eating patterns.

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