Body Image, Eating Disorders: The Jewish Experience

This webinar is presented by Madeline Altabe, PhD
Date: Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
Time: 5:00 pm PT / 6:00 pm MT / 7:00 pm CT / 8:00 p.m. ET
Webinar length is approx 90 min, ZOOM link will be sent a few days before the event.

Our first experiences as physical beings in the world are with food and family - very Jewish things. In this webinar we will examine the body image, eating disorders and Jewish experience. Body image is central experience of self developed through our interactions with others including the larger cultural context. When body image becomes negative due to personal or social circumstances, individuals are prone to eating disorders. We will review research on the Jewish experience of these pressures - including the ways Jewish individuals experience typically Jewish physical traits, and factors in eating disorders related to discrimination. Using cases example we will explore what we know and what we might need to ask as we address the needs of Jewish mental health clients.

Learning Objectives

• Develop an understanding of the socio-cultural theory of body image – how cultural norms come to influence identity and create vulnerabilities to eating disorders
• Articulate the relationship between systemic discrimination and eating disorders risk
• Review Jewish specific research on body image and identity
• Apply specific strategies that build on Jewish resilience to improve body image and reduce eating disorders risk

Dr. Madeline Altabe is a licensed psychologist with research and clinical interests in body image and eating disorders. She graduated with a B.A. in Social Psychology from New College of Florida and studied Clinical and Community Psychology in graduate school earning a M.A. and PhD. She has worked in academia, non-profits as well as private practice. She currently serve as the Program Coordinator for the PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology at the Lyn J. Darby School of Psychology and Adolescent Counseling at Brenau University. She is a member of the Education Committee of the Association of Jewish Psychologists.