Please note that we want to be inclusive of all in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, but much of the research presented refers to only LGBTQ+. However, we recognize that these issues may equally affect those that don’t fall into this category, such as those who identify as two-spirit, intersex, asexual, or other. These folks may also face different challenges related to eating disorder treatment that may not be mentioned in the blog due to lack of current research.
While eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors can affect individuals with various identities, it has been found that disparities exist in certain marginalized groups, such as sexual and gender minorities. Some researchers have suggested that the stress associated with living as a minority may lead to unhealthy eating habits, highlighting a potential reason for a higher prevalence of eating disorders in the LGBTQ+ community. Disordered eating behaviours such as binge eating and anorexia nervosa have been correlated with LGBTQ+ folks, and may be related to the social stress that LGBTQ+ individuals experience as minorities.
Barriers to Eating Disorder Treatment in the Queer Community
Queer folks experience greater barriers to accessing health care than heterosexuals, including eating disorder services. Some barriers to treatment they experience may include:
- Discrimination and mistreatment from providers
- Lack of culturally competent eating disorder treatment
- Feeling unwelcome, judged, or uncomfortable during medical appointments
- Lack of support from family and friends
- Fear that treatment will rush the coming out process
It goes without saying that those marginalized by sexual identity as well as other identities need and deserve culturally and clinically competent care for their eating disorders and any other health-related issues.
Risk Factors
Queer folks experience the same risk factors as others in eating disorder development in addition to the challenges they face as minorities. These experiences put them at greater risk of developing an eating disorder.
Potential risk factors include:
- Fear of rejection or experience of rejection by loved ones
- Experiences of violence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Conflict between one’s biological sex and gender identity
- Internalized negative beliefs about oneself due to sexual orientation, non-normative gender expressions, or transgender identity
- Experiences of bullying, stigma and/or discrimination due to one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity
- Beliefs around body image ideals that exist within some LGBTQ+ cultural contexts and associating these ideals with sexual and/or gender identity
- History of dieting, diet pill use, or other disordered eating behaviours
Our 2SLGBTQIA+ community needs our support this month and beyond. We need to strive to:
- Acknowledge the varying factors that influence eating disorders in the queer community.
- Language matters. We should adopt language that affirms all gender and sexual identities. Ask about pronouns and use them correctly.
- Eating disorder recovery is unique to each person and it is important to focus on the experiences and journey of your patient or loved one.
- Listen to queer folks’ experiences with food and their bodies. Be willing to learn and advocate for inclusivity and diversity in our healthcare system.
How We Can Help
If you are a clinician looking to learn more about navigating eating disorder care with your clients you can book a free consultation call with us below.
*2SLGBTQIA+ is an acronym for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual, while + stands for other ways individuals express their gender and sexuality outside heteronormativity and the gender binary.
