NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Gay and bisexual men
may be at far higher risk for eating disorders than heterosexual
men, while women seem to be equally affected regardless of their
sexual orientation, a new study suggests.
Researchers surveyed 516 New York City residents;
126 were straight men and the rest were gay or bisexual men and
women. The results showed that more than 15 percent of gay or bisexual
men had at some time suffered anorexia, bulimia or binge-eating
disorder, or at least certain symptoms of those disorders -- a problem
known as a "subclinical" eating disorder.
That compared with less than 5 percent of heterosexual
men, the researchers report in the International Journal of Eating
Disorders.
In contrast, sexual orientation did not seem
to influence the risk of eating disorder symptoms among women. Just
under 10 percent of lesbian and bisexual women had ever had a full-blown
or subclinical eating disorder, as had 8 percent of heterosexual
women.
It's not clear why men's sexual orientation may
affect their vulnerability to eating disorders, according to the
study authors, led by Dr. Matthew Feldman of the National Development
and Research Institutes, a non-profit research organization in New
York.
Other studies have had similar findings, and
one theory is that gay men have different ideals about physical
appearance, and, similar to women, they may feel pressure to stay
thin.
In their study, Feldman and colleague Dr. Ilan
H. Meyer found an elevated eating disorder risk among men who were
active in recreational groups, such as sports teams, that primarily
included other gay or bisexual men.
On the other hand, men who said they felt closely
connected to the gay community had a lower risk of currently suffering
eating disorder symptoms. This supports the theory that acceptance
in the gay community boosts men's self-esteem and may offer a buffer
against eating disorders, according to the researchers.
As for the findings in women, Feldman and Meyer
say, they refute the notion that homosexual and bisexual women may
be less vulnerable to body-image issues and eating disorders.
There needs to be greater awareness of these
problems among gay and bisexual men and women alike, the researchers
conclude. |