Tamar, whose family names are withheld, says her daughter Noa first absorbed harmful messages about her body at age nine, after a routine clinic weigh-in. A doctor noted that Noa had gained 10 kilograms in the previous year and suggested she see a dietitian. Tamar says that moment, along with other weight-related comments Noa heard over the years from peers and in dance classes, left a lasting mark.
Noa, now entering 11th grade, was always described as a chubby child, but her family says they never commented on her weight at home. The situation worsened in middle school. Tamar noticed that Noa was losing weight, isolating herself, sleeping for hours after school and skipping packed lunches. At first the parents assumed it was ordinary adolescence, even though Noa sometimes said she wanted to lose weight and exercise more.
The turning point came when Noa began telling her mother she had been vomiting. Tamar initially thought it might be a virus, but when it kept happening, she confronted Noa in anger. About two months later, Noa left a note saying she was not eating, was vomiting, knew it was harmful, could not stop on her own and wanted help without being blamed. The family quickly saw a family doctor, who ruled out that she simply looked underweight and referred them onward. Tamar then searched for help, while Noa continued partly functioning, eating at family meals and going out with friends, which masked the severity.
School became increasingly difficult, and she attended irregularly, sometimes only one day a week. The family faced long waiting lists until a Kupat Holim Leumit psychologist connected them to Tzabar Refuah’s home hospitalization program for adolescents with eating disorders. The six-month treatment included a doctor, psychiatrist, dietitian, family therapist, support worker and parent guidance, with some sessions at home and some online. Tamar says the treatment saved Noa’s life, though body-image struggles remain.
Tamar now urges parents to say the words “eating disorder” and not dismiss warning signs such as sleeping a lot, refusing school, withdrawal or avoidance of meals. Dr. Tal Shenir, who heads Tzabar Refuah’s home treatment service, says eating disorders are serious illnesses requiring full medical, psychological and family support. She says cases have risen sharply since COVID-19 and became more complex after the war, and that not all patients are visibly underweight. Early diagnosis, she says, improves recovery chances.
