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Judge Allows Parent to Force-Feed Anorexic Daughter in High-Profile New Jersey Case

The Parsippany resident weighed 60 pounds in June when she was taken to a clinic in Princeton

What to Know

  • The judge ruled the woman was incapable of making her own decisions and gave her parents the power to make medical choices for her
  • The woman's lawyer had argued that she wanted to make her own decisions
  • The Parsippany resident weighed 60 pounds in June when she was taken to a clinic in Princeton and has since gained 15 pounds

A New Jersey judge has cleared the way for parents to force-feed their 20-year-old anorexic daughter.

The judge on Tuesday ruled the woman, known as S.A., was incapable of making her own decisions and gave her parents the power to make medical decisions on her behalf. Her lawyer had argued that she wanted to make her own decisions.

The judge found her physicians all said she does not understand the risks to her life by not eating and she has a chance of recovery through her parents' guardianship.

The Parsippany resident weighed 60 pounds in June when she was taken to a clinic in Princeton and has since gained 15 pounds.

Her mother told the Daily Record of Parsippany the case makes other parents hopeful.

Earlier this year, a different judge granted the request of another anorexic woman, Ashley G., to refuse force-feeding. She died three months later. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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