British research into the increased vulnerability of young gay men to eating disturbance and body dissatisfaction

Forty-one young gay British males (aged between 15 and 25 years) and 47 heterosexual men were compared on measures of eating disturbance and body dissatisfaction. All participants completed a questionnaire containing a number of previously validated scales including EAT-26, the BSS and a series of line-drawings. Gay participants scored higher on all measures of eating disturbance and were more dissatisfied with their bodies. The gay sample chose ideal images that were significantly slimmer than the heterosexuals and were much more likely to show symptoms of a clinical disorder. Results from gay participants revealed strong correlations between levels of eating disturbance, self-esteem and body dissatisfaction whilst these relationships did not achieve significance for heterosexuals. The findings strongly confirm American research that suggests that gay men are particularly vulnerable to serious eating disturbance. Potential explanations and implications of these findings for gay men and those who work with them are briefly discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.