Eating Disorders in the LGTBQ+ Community

Identifying as a member of the LGBTQ+ community comes with its own unique set of challenges: stigma, discrimination, hate crimes, lack of access to adequate care, mental illness, and trauma, among others…

While there is still much research to be done on the relationships between sexuality, gender identity, body image, and eating disorders, we know that LGBTQ+ individuals are at a disproportionately higher risk for developing eating disorders due to the mentioned stressors.

What is not known, or perhaps not acknowledged, is the high rates of disordered eating within the LGBTQ+ community.

Individuals of the concerned community are more prone to developing disordered eating behaviours and patterns, such as restricting, bingeing, and/ or purging to manipulate their bodies to ease gender dysphoria or body dysmorphia.

Other potential factors that may play a role in the onset of an eating disorder could be:

• Fear of rejection by the individual's entourage
• Internal negative beliefs about oneself due to sexual orientation (e.g. believing they are bad for being homosexual)
• PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder. Research shows that PTSD is strongly associated with increased vulnerability to eating disorders.
• Living in fear of being harassed
• Stress from discrimination
• Comparing themselves to body ideals within some LGBTQ+ cultural contexts

Unfortunately, because of the lack of proper access to healthcare and the stigmatization surrounding the community, many LGBTQ+ individuals develop severe, life-threatening eating disorders that often result in severe damage to their bodies.

Additionally, the lack of research on effective treatment for LGBTQ+ people with disordered eating or eating disorders makes it more difficult for them to get the treatment and professional assistance they deserve. All of this leaves these people slipping into their eating disorder, not taking action only until their behaviours get seriously out of hand.

LGBTQ + people entering eating disorder treatment require a specialized intervention and approach. They cannot be subjected to the same treatment practices as their heterosexual counterparts - as such treatment has been shown to be ineffective and not targeting their particular demands and personalized needs.

This being said, there needs to be more consideration done into what kind of treatments are the most effective for LGBTQ+ individuals among mental health professionals, particularly eating disorder therapists.

Many societies and communities have seen the emergence of LGTBQ + treatment centres, and healthcare resources have been put in place to create safer spaces for people to access mental health care and support. However, it is undeniable that LGBTQ + people still remain isolated, feeling marginalized in communities that do not offer specialized services and programs to meet their specific needs.

In summary, researchers argue that due to the stress of living in a minority, unhealthy eating habits are more common in the LGBTQ + community, and people of the community are more likely to develop a full-blown eating disorder.

Luckily, recent studies and current technologies are making it easier to understand the cognitive, emotional and physical impulses that surround unhealthy eating behaviours in LGBTQ+ people.

If you think that you or someone you love (belonging to the LGBTQ + community) has an eating disorder, or if you are concerned about your own or a loved one's eating habits, you should consider reaching out for support. Seeking professional help is critical. Getting a diagnosis from an eating disorder therapist is the very first step in recovery.

Remember, the sooner you get help, the greater (and faster) your chances of recovery!