Yes, Gay Men Can Have Eating Disorders Too
As a survivor of Anorexia Nervosa, I know all too well the complexity of the collection of mental illnesses known as eating disorders.
However, I will not be discussing my background. My story is unique, but it is also a common generalization.
I was fourteen when I was diagnosed. My family is an upper-middle-class white family. I was a young girl who was severely underweight.
All the expectations society has of someone with Anorexia, I met.
My story is familiar. That is why I will not discuss it. You will benefit more from hearing untold stories.
The stories of gay men with eating disorders.
Men only make up about 5% of suffers.
Out of that 5%, gay men populate 42% of male eating disorder patients.
This high prevalence is due to many factors. Some notable causes are cited in a 2018 study by Frontiers in Psychology.
These include the issue of gay men having a "higher incidence of drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and body image related anxiety”(1) compared to heterosexual men.
Sadly, homosexual men are chronically underdiagnosed and often leave their EDs untreated. Some suffer claim they do not seek help due to anxiety of stigmatization in treatment and within the gay community. Blocking the road to recovery is also a lack of known information and resources.
Regardless of sexual orientation, men are notoriously underrepresented in eating disorder populations. Doctors constantly dismiss warning signs because of the association of EDs with young girls and women.
In addition, the societal ideal for male bodies is the opposite of what common (read: dangerously generalized) ED motivations are:
Anorexia is attributed to extreme starvation leading to unhealthy thinness.
Bulimia is attributed to binging, purging, and being underweight.
BED is associated with binging leading to weight gain.
While EDs seldom fit into categories (a conversation for another post), EDs are commonly marked by weight loss.
The expectation for male bodies is focused on weight (muscle) gain and fitness.
Neither encourages extreme starvation and excessive thinness.
In consequence, doctors expect men to want to get the gains or bulk up and therefore are not always on the lookout.
This equates to many doctors not realizing that their male patient has an ED.
To resolve this issue, LGBTQ+ best practices need to implement in the medical field. We can do our part by spreading awareness and educating ourselves.
It should be addressed that the body ideals in the gay community are different and vary. If you subscribe to categorizing gay men (such as twink, bear, otter, cub, etc.), then variations in body expectations become clear.
This categorization is all but absent among straight men. The lack of labeling in the heterosexual community may be why they tend to have fewer body image issues than gay men. However, research is severely lacking on that topic.
One researched theory is available for why gay men have a higher prevalence of eating disorders.
The theory is best explained simply by the Ph.D. holder and associate professor of clinical Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, Dr. Meyer.
He states:
"One theory is that the values and norms in the gay men's community promote a body-centered focus and high expectations about physical appearance, so that, similar to what has been theorized about heterosexual women, they may feel pressure to maintain an ideal body image." (2)
Still, other findings contradict this theory.
Another contributor could be social issues and injustices.
According to a study in Journals of Eating Disorders, “gay…adults and adolescents are more likely to suffer…due to experiencing greater stress, caused by stigma and prejudice.” (3)
The study also referenced the MSM or Minority Stress Model.
MSM is a psychological model related to Minority Stress Theory.
MST states that LGBTQIA+ people experience chronic stress because of prejudice, culture, and stigma.
The model exists to prove that negative cultural, social, and psychological experiences are what cause the chronic biophysical state of stress present in LGBTQIA+ populations.
All of those studies resulted in solid theories but produced no solid answers. It remains to be seen why gay men experience EDs at a higher rate.
Frankly, it will remain to be seen till the end of time if we do not push for change. We must continue to advocate for research on LGBTQ mental health. We must donate to fund research initiatives that support the cause.
Even opening up dialogues about the issues will help raise awareness and bring change.
The only thing you cannot do is finish reading this and do nothing.
So do something. Do anything. But do not be silent. Silence is deadly.
Sources:
1- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6331421/
2- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070413160923.htm
3- https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-020-00327-y
4- https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/lgbt.2019.0223
