Body Image as Well as Eating Disorder and Body Dysmorphic Disorder Symptoms in Heterosexual, Homosexual, and Bisexual Women

Abstract

Body image disturbance is a core symptom of eating disorders (EDs) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). There is first evidence that females’ body image differs depending on sexual orientation, with heterosexual women (HEW) appearing to show more body image disturbance symptoms than homosexual women (HOW). Such disparities might be moderated by everyday discrimination experiences and involvement with the lesbian community. However, to date, there has been no comprehensive assessment of a broad range of body image facets such as drive for thinness, leanness, and muscularity; body avoidance; body checking and body dissatisfaction; and ED and BDD pathology as well as moderating factors. Moreover, studies have often neglected bisexual women (BIW). A total of N = 617 women ( n = 180 HOW, n = 322 HEW, n = 115 BIW) completed an online survey assessing the various facets of body image, ED and BDD pathology, discrimination experiences, and involvement with the lesbian community. Significant group differences were found regarding drive for leanness and thinness, body checking, investment behavior, and body ideal (all p<.05). BIW showed significantly more body checking than HOW. Compared to HEW, HOW reported a significantly lower drive for leanness and thinness as well as compared to HEW and BIW less investment behavior. HOW preferred a body ideal with significantly more body fat than did HEW (all p<.05). In contrast, no differences emerged in body dissatisfaction, drive for muscularity, body-related avoidance, ED and BDD pathology, and body image disturbance (all p>.05). In all groups, discrimination experiences were positively related to ED and BDD pathology and to body image disturbance (all p < .05); however, discrimination was significantly correlated with more body image facets in HEW than in HOW or BIW. Involvement with the lesbian community was positively correlated with a larger ideal body size in HOW ( p < .05) and negatively correlated with drive for muscularity in BIW ( p < .05). Despite the group differences in several body image facets, we found no consistent evidence of increased vulnerability to body image disturbance or associated pathology depending on sexual orientation. However, in HEW, discrimination experience might pose a risk factor for the development of body image–related pathology and single facets of body image disturbance.

The role of sexual orientation in the relationships between body perception, body weight dissatisfaction, physical comparison, and eating psychopathology in the cisgender population

“…Our results only partially confirmed our hypothesis, but they are in line with data from the literature that indicate that BIW and gay men are more likely to have body concerns than their heterosexual peers [24,60,61]. Indeed, data from recent studies suggest that BIW feel pressured to integrate physical norms from both the heterosexual and lesbian cultures and are significantly vulnerable to body dissatisfaction, even if results are not unique [8,25]. According to our results, sexual minority men are more prone than the other cisgender groups to internalize social pressure about body evaluation.…”

“…Body image is influenced by cultural factors, interpersonal skills, physical changes over time, personality characteristics, selfesteem, and quality of life [4][5][6][7]. Recently, the literature has considered genders and sexual orientations as significant factors that might have a significant effect on one's body evaluation, but bisexual women and men are often misrepresented in the literature and included with other sexual minorities [8][9][10][11][12].…”

Heteronormativity in Schools is Associated with Unhealthy Weight-Control Behaviors in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth: A Multilevel Analysis.

“…At the individual level, LGB youth were signi cantly more likely to report unhealthy weight-control behaviors in line with Lucassen et al [28] Our ndings also showed that at the individual level, there was some mediation of that association among LGB youth by personal experiences of bullying victimization and perceived low happiness. Our ndings are consistent with previous studies [23,29] showing that minority stress is associated with unhealthy weight control behaviors in sexual minority youth. Regarding the interaction between LGB x gender at individual level, LGB boys were not signi cantly more likely to engage in unhealthy weight-control, although the direction of association was in the expected direction, in line with Hadland et al [30] However, the bigger picture from our study is that low LGB visibility is correlated with unhealthy weightcontrol behaviors in all students.…”

“…[21,22] Experiences of discrimination were associated with eating disorders and body image disturbance in all groups of women (homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual). [23] In the present study we sought to examine the association between heteronormativity (as proxied by the prevalence of LGB youth in schools) and unhealthy weight-control behaviors among sexual minority youth.…”

Body Dissatisfaction, Importance of Appearance, and Body Appreciation in Men and Women Over the Lifespan

“…94,95), we did not analyze these persons in the present study due to the insufficient sample size (N = 7). Moreover, we did not investigate the relation between sexual orientation and body image, although previous studies have found indications of an influence of sexual orientation on body image (96)(97)(98)(99). Therefore, future research should investigate the impact of age on body image for different sexual orientations.…”