A substantial mental health discrepancy has been recognized between sexual minorities and heterosexuals due the unique stressors sexual minorities are exposed to. These stressors account for several mental issues associated with body image dissatisfaction, a common concern worldwide. To date, a priori studies revealed inconsistent results with regards to body image dissatisfaction among sexual minorities. Additionally, scarce studies have investigated body image concerns among sexual minorities in Lebanon. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction among sexual minorities and to further explore the disparity between subgroups. Additionally, this paper sought to assess the correlation between fear of negative evaluation, generalized anxiety disorder, social support, experiences of harassment and discrimination and body image dissatisfaction. The current study is a population cross – section study of which a final sample of 358 participants of different sexual identities filled an online short survey assessing various factors contributing to body image dissatisfaction. Major results showed higher body image dissatisfaction in transgender individuals compared to their cis peers. Similarly, lesbians, gays, bisexuals and queer participants displayed higher body image dissatisfaction when compared to heterosexuals. Additionally, sexual minority subgroups reported disproportionate levels of body image dissatisfaction. Only generalized anxiety disorder, fear of negative evaluation and social support were significantly associated with body image dissatisfaction. In conclusion, these results call attention to body image concerns among sexual minorities and a need for more extensive research with regards to this topic.

It has been previously established that sexual minorities are more likely to suffer from mental health illnesses due to experiencing unique stressors such as fear, anxiety, stigma, harassment, and prejudice. Results revealed two noteworthy mental health disorders reported by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals, disordered eating behaviors and disturbed body image. Yet, a-priori studies revealed inconsistent results with regards to body image concerns and eating disorder symptoms and attitudes among sexual minorities. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed at investigating the occurrence of disordered eating behaviors (DEB) and body image disturbance (BID) among sexual minorities in Lebanon. Additionally, the correlation between several determinants of DEB and BID including fear of negative evaluation, generalized anxiety, social support, and harassment levels have been examined. Generally, the present study revealed that LGBTQ population scored higher than cisgender and heterosexual individuals for the mean and global scores of the EDE-Q6.0 and BAS-2. Only generalized anxiety and fear of negative evaluation scales were significantly associated with DEB and BID among different sexual orientation and gender identity individuals. Therefore, it is very important that health professionals working with such vulnerable populations meticulously assess for disordered eating behaviors and body image disturbance for better communication and management.