Bio

Dr. Marcy Forta EdD, MBA is the founder and director of Atzmi, an organization dedicated to supporting the mental health of Jewish girls through programs that improve their self-esteem, body acceptance, and reduce the focus on outward appearances.  She specializes in eating disorder education, awareness, and prevention, focusing specifically on risk factors and prevention within the Jewish Orthodox Adolescent Female Community. She is also a Body Project Facilitator, and a Certified Holistic Nutritionist.

Dr. Forta’s doctoral research focused on community healthcare stakeholders descriptions of religious and environmental risk factors unique to the Jewish orthodox adolescent female community. Community healthcare stakeholders include rabbis, teachers, principals, mental and physical health professionals. Her research was conducted over a period of several years and focused on the U.S. Midwest region. There is long established evidence supporting prevention programs and their impact, this being the impetus to create Atzmi as the evidence suggests that their efficacy is vastly improved when tailored to specific demographics. Her research forms the basis of the eating disorder awareness, education, and prevention programs designed for this community.

Dr. Forta lives in Oak Park, Michigan. She is a lecturer, blogger, and sought after expert in the eating disorder field. Her personal website is marcyforta.com.

Publicity Photos

Right-click on a photo below to download and save a copy.