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Biomedical subjects

Yael Latzer

Publications and source records attributed to Yael Latzer.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Disordered eating related behaviors among Arab schoolgirls in Israel: an epidemiological study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors among three religious subgroups of Arab schoolgirls in Israel (Moslems, Druze, and Christians). METHOD: The sample consisted of 1,131 Arab schoolgirls in Israel, including 922 (81.5%) Moslem, 125 (11.1%) Christian, and 84 (7.4%) Druze adolescents, in the 7-12th grades. The sample was drawn from urban and rural residential settings from all parts of Israel using a clusters sampling method. RESULTS: The Christian subgroup had a significantly lower total eating disorder inventory-2 (EDI-2) score than the Druze and Moslem subgroups, which had similar total EDI-2 scores. Significant differences were found between the three religious subgroups in all subscales, except in drive for thinness (DT), bulimia, body dissatisfaction, and asceticism. A total of 154 (13%) Arab schoolgirls scored higher than the cut-off point of >>14 on the EDI-DT subscale. CONCLUSION: The results are discussed in light of the differences between the Christian, Druze, and Moslem subgroups and in terms of various aspects of Arab culture in Israel.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Comparative study of eating-related attitudes and psychological traits between Israeli-Arab and -Jewish schoolgirls.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of the study were to examine weight concerns, dieting and eating behaviours in a group of Israeli-Arab schoolgirls as compared with Israeli-Jewish schoolgirls, as well as to investigate the reliability of the Arabic (Palestinian) version of the eating disorder inventory-2 (EDI-2). METHOD: The sample consisted of 2548 Israeli schoolgirls, including 1885 Jewish and 663 Arab adolescents ranging in age from 12 to 18. The study was conducted in 1998-2003 from urban and rural residential settings in the northern part of Israel. The (EDI-2) was the assessment tool used, yielding scores on 11 sub-scales. RESULTS: The Israeli-Arab schoolgirls scored significantly higher than the Israeli-Jewish schoolgirls in most EDI-2 sub-scales. In addition, the sub-scale inter-item consistency of the translated Arabic (Palestinian version) of the EDI-2 was found to be reliable. DISCUSSION: The drive to be thin found among Israeli Arab schoolgirls is not reflected in their small number of ED clinic referrals. These discrepancies are discussed in light of the socio-cultural changes currently taking place in the Israeli Arab population due to the influence of Western-oriented life in Israel.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Sleep-wake cycles in obese children with and without binge-eating episodes.

AIM: The aim of the study was to assess binge-eating episodes and to characterise sleep-wake cycles among obese children. METHOD: The obese group consisted of 36 children. All participants received a diagnosis of primary obesity. The obese group was subdivided into two groups: obese with binge eating and without binge eating. A normal-weight control group was comprised of 25 normal-weight children. Sleep-wake patterns were monitored for 1 week, using mini-actigraphs and self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: Thirty-seven per cent of the obese children reported uncontrolled binge-eating episodes. Actigraphic monitoring revealed significant differences in sleep quality between all three groups. Self-report questionnaires presented significantly more sleep disturbances in the obese group with binge eating and obese group without binge eating than in the normal-weight group. CONCLUSION: Sleep disruption in obese children with binge eating is significantly more severe than in both obese non-binge-eating children and normal-weight controls.

Child↗
PubMed2006

[Diet or health--the linkage between vegetarianism and anorexia nervosa].

Vegetarianism in its various forms, is widely encountered in different societies all over the world; thus, combining nutritional, social, behavioral and psychological aspects. The prevalence of vegetarianism in the western world, as well as in Israel, is dealt with in this review. The extent of vegetarianism among young patients with eating disorders is much higher than in any other age group. Anorexia nervosa patients in Israel admit to be vegetarians in 85% (mean), as compared to 65% (mean) in other western countries. The last three decades abound with nutritional messages concerning healthy life styles. Food Pyramids recommend meat avoidance as a remedy and promise for longevity. This reason for abstaining from meat has led to the adoption of vegetarian diets in grownups. All age groups have mastered the "Vegi" trend, and mostly young girls. They express feelings of disgust especially towards red meat. Despite the knowledge gained by the public about the linkage between diet and health, the proportion of patients suffering from eating disorders is rising. There seems to be a direct connection between the "Vegi" fashion of the teenagers and eating disorders which start typically in adolescence. Many surveys point to the abuse of vegetarianism as a mask for weight control. The vegetarian diet, a selective way of eating, might precede different eating disorders and increase the risk of developing anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia Nervosa↗
PubMed2005

Dying to be thin: attachment to death in anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) usually follows a prolonged course accompanied by significant morbidity and high mortality. AN patients have been found to have elevated and attempted suicide rates, with suicide being the second most common cause of death in AN after the complications of the disorder itself. The suicide risk in AN is similar to that in major depression or conduct disorder and linked mainly to longer duration of illness, lower weight, bingeing and purging, impulsivity-related manifestations, comorbid substance abuse, and affective disorder. This paper reviews suicidal tendency and disturbed body image, death and eating disorders, and attachment and death with clinical implications related to AN.

Anorexia Nervosa↗
PubMed2004

Childhood obesity.

In March 2004 a group of 65 physicians and other health professionals representing nine countries on four continents convened in Israel to discuss the widespread public health crisis in childhood obesity. Their aim was to explore the available evidence and develop a consensus on the way forward. The process was rigorous, although time and resources did not permit the development of formal evidence-based guidelines. In the months before meeting, participants were allocated to seven groups covering prevalence, causes, risks, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and psychology. Through electronic communication each group selected the key issues for their area, searched the literature, and developed a draft document. Over the 3-d meeting, these papers were debated and finalized by each group before presenting to the full group for further discussion and agreement. In developing a consensus statement, this international group has presented the evidence, developed recommendations, and provided a platform aimed toward future corrective action and ongoing debate in the international community.

Child↗
PubMed2003

[Binge eating disorder (BED)--new diagnostic category].

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a proposed new diagnostic criteria in the DSM-IV, cited as an example of an eating disorder Not Otherwise Specified (NOS). The phrase Binge Eating was introduced over 35 years ago to describe problematic behavior found in a subgroup of overweight individuals, and as a subgroup of Bulimia Nervosa. The defining characteristics of BED patients are consumptions of an objectively large amount of food in discrete time periods, a lack of control during eating episodes and a lack of compensatory behavior binge. BEDs affect approximately 30% of obese individuals seeking treatment. The binge eaters represent a distinct subgroup among the obese with higher prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disturbances, as well as higher rates of eating pathology, as compared to normal obese women. Several researches suggested that individuals use binge eating as a means of coping with emotional distress. In addition, the binge eating disorder represents a distinct subgroup among bulimia nervosa with lower comorbid psychiatric disturbances, eating pathology and purging behavior. The present paper will review this proposed syndrome and will discuss the question of whether it is a distinct subgroup of obese patients or a distinct subgroup of bulimia nervosa patients, or a new diagnostic category. This diagnostic dilemma is discussed in light of clinical and empirical literature. Clinical and therapeutic implications are presented and ideas for future research are proposed.

Bulimia↗
PubMed2002

Rejection of life in anorexic and bulimic patients.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate eating- disordered (ED) patients' attraction to life and death. METHOD: Thirty-two anorexic and 37 bulimic patients were matched by age, sex, and socioeconomic status to 37 matched normal controls. Participants were administered the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Multiattitude Suicidal Tendency Scale (MASS), and the Selflessness Scale. RESULTS: ED patients scored significantly higher on the Selflessness Scale than normal controls. They are less attracted to and more repulsed by life than normal controls. In death variables, attraction to or repulsion by, no significant differences were found. These results were not influenced by depression. The higher the tendency of ED patients to ignore their needs and serve other's needs (high Selflessness scores), the higher their tendency to be attracted to death and to be less attracted to life. DISCUSSION: ED patients, rather than dwelling on death, reject life. Theoretically, the findings support differentiation of death preoccupation to several components. Clinically, the findings might direct clinicians to help patients reduce their "self-guilt," that is, guilt of promoting their own interests.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

[Sleeping and eating disorders].

Over the last three decades there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of eating disorders (ED) in western society. The main syndromes are anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and non-specified eating disorders (ED-NOS). These disorders are with high morbidity and life threatening complications. Sleep disturbances are predominant symptom in these disorders. Researches have examined sleep disorders among people suffering from eating disorders, using different methods: sleep polysomnography, actigraph and self report questionnaires. The article presents the diagnostic criteria of eating disorders, sleep structure and review of researches, which examined sleep patterns among people with AN, BN and binge eating disorder (BED). In addition the article reviews the night eating syndrome. This syndrome is considered to be a combination of eating disorder and sleeping disorder. The article describes the characteristic sleep-wake patterns of each syndrome and in comparison to the control group. The discussion suggests some possible explanations for the discrepancies between subjective and objective experience of sleep.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of the family physician in eating disorders.

The steady increase in Eating Disorders (ED) during the last three decades has raised increasing concern over the early diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Due to the multi-factorial etiology of ED, treatment is complex, prolonged, and demands a team approach. Family physicians are often approached first for consultation following the patient's initial physical complaints. For this reason, the general practitioner can play a critical role in the early diagnosis and treatment of these disorders. By asking the appropriate questions and providing relevant information, the family physician (FP) may be able to refer the patient to treatment necessary for recovery, as well as assist in this process. Because the family physician typically has previous acquaintance with the patient and her family, he or she may be of considerable import to creating a therapeutic liaison and support framework with the professional team. This article will discuss the potential involvement and significance of the family physician in the successful diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of ED. The importance of the FP in the decision for hospitalization, referral, and follow-up is emphasized, as well as the pivotal role of the FP as a multi-disciplinary team coordinator.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anorexia nervosa and the family: effects on younger sisters to anorexia nervosa patients.

The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the experience of the sister of the anorexia nervosa (AN) patient. This experience was examined in terms of the illness, the sister herself, and relations within the family during the course of coping with AN. A qualitative study method was employed in an attempt to understand the complexity and nature of a younger sister's subjective experience regarding an anorexia patient. Nine sisters of AN patients in the active stage of the illness were interviewed. Data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured taped interviews and content-analyzed by using the layer system theory. The findings provide the sister's personal perspective in regard to her emotional experience in the shadow of the illness and in regard to the systemic processes that take place in the course of a family's coping with the illness. The findings are divided into six main content categories: (1) structural processes; (2) family dynamic processes; (3) emotional processes; (4) change in life functions; (5) body image; and (6) narrative of the illness. Two theoretical concepts are presented that analyze the reality of the sister as an individual and of the family as a system. The first concept relates to the illness as a new member of the family system. The second concept relates to the sister's emotional experience as one of duality. These two concepts underscore the implications of the illness in terms of placing the sister at risk of developing additional pathological symptoms. The present study provides an in-depth description, explanation, and analysis of the younger sister's experience, thus elucidating risks to her emotional and mental functioning. In addition, it opens a window to the world of a family coping with the illness, and clarifies processes of change taking place within it.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Weight concern, dieting and eating behaviors. A survey of Israeli high school girls.

UNLABELLED: The main goal of the present study was to explore some of the risk-factor variables for eating disorders among Israeli junior high and high school adolescent girls (12-18 years old) from different residential areas in the northern district of Israel. Additionally, this study examined and identified which group was most prone to develop disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. METHOD: A representative sample of 1,316 Jewish adolescent females from five Israeli school sub-groups and from five different residential areas was selected proportionally to various school sub-groups and residential areas. The Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) was the assessment tool used, yielding scores on 11 sub-scales. RESULTS: In regard to age, the 16.6-18 year-olds were found to have significantly higher total EDI-2 scores, as compared to the other age groups. Girls aged 16.6 and up were found to have the highest score in six sub-scales out of eleven. As for different types of schools in different residential settings, the secular boarding school sub-group had the significantly highest scores, while the kibbutz sub-group had the lowest scores for the total EDI-2, as well as for most subscales. The majority of scores for the other school sub-groups fell midway between the two extreme groups. DISCUSSION: The results are discussed in terms of cultural, religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic influences. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the need to conduct a systematic methodological study comparing various psychological and socioeconomic factors, including maladaptive eating behavior in different types of religious residential schools.

Adolescent↗