Body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating in lesbian college students

Abstract

Lesbian subcultures have been described to downplay the importance of physical attractiveness and to challenge culturally prescribed beauty ideals. Within this context, one might argue that lesbians should be more accepting of their bodies and less likely to engage in disordered eating, than would heterosexual women. The relationship between sexual orientation and body esteem has not been examined empirically yet. This study compared 30 lesbian undergraduates and 52 heterosexual undergraduates on measures of body esteem, self‐esteem, and disordered eating. Few group differences were found. Lesbian students reported lower self‐esteem, more ineffectiveness, more interpersonal distrust, and more difficulties in identifying their own emotions, than did heterosexual students. Body esteem was found to be related more closely with self‐esteem in lesbians, than in heterosexual students. These group differences may reflect the lesbian experience more than disturbances associated with disordered eating.

Biological Gender, Sexual Orientation and Gender Role in Eating Disorders

“…The sample of homosexual females showed lower body dissatisfaction than heterosexuals, even though they were not less likely to report dieting, binge eating or unhealthy weight control behaviors (French et al, 1996). Lesbian subcultures have been described to downplay the importance of physical attractiveness and traditional ideals of beauty (Striegel- Moore, 1990). Within this context, one hypothesis has been that lesbians generally do not suffer from body image problems or disordered eating because they are not vulnerable to cultural pressures to be thin as most heterosexual women do (Brown, 1987).…”

“…Other studies, conversely, have found no major differences between hetero-and homosexual women concerning body dissatisfaction (Beren et al, 1996;Striegel-Moore et al, 1990), with regard to the presence of dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors (Streigel-Moore et al, 1990;Beren et al, 1996;Share & Mintz, 2002;Moore & Keel, 2003) or in rates of eating disorders (French et al, 1996). For example, Heffernan (1996) reported that lesbians were not significantly different from heterosexual women in attitudes concerning body weight and appearance or dieting.…”

“…In contrast, Striegel- Moore et al (1990) found a stronger association between body esteem and self-esteem in homosexual women and higher rates of bingeing in homosexual women compared to heterosexuals. Particularly, lesbian undergraduates students reported lower self-esteem, higher interpersonal distrust and difficulties in identifying their own emotions, than heterosexual students did.…”

Tests of Objectification Theory in Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Community Samples: Mixed Evidence for Proposed Pathways

“…Other research has found comparable levels of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating between groups of lesbian and heterosexual women (e.g., Beren et al 1996;Brand et al 1992;Striegel-Moore et al 1990). Morrison et al's (2004) meta-analysis showed no reliable difference in body dissatisfaction between lesbian and heterosexual women.…”

Minority Stress and Binge Eating Among Lesbian and Bisexual Women

“…However, little research has examined the relationship between sexual orientation and eating behaviors (IOM, 2011). With regard to binge eating specifically, research suggests that LB women are more likely to report binge eating compared to heterosexual women Heffernan, 1994;Striegel-Moore, Tucker, & Hsu, 1990). In fact, based on results of the Lesbian Healthcare Survey, 68% of lesbian women reported overeating "sometimes" or "often" (Bradford, Ryan, & Rothblum, 1994).…”