Features of eating disorder among male-to-female transsexuals

We found that during their journey of transition from male to female, people with gender identity disorder do not report higher levels of drive for thinness, bulimia or body dissatisfaction than the general population or people with eating disorders on the Eating Disorder Inventory. Instead, they report significantly lower levels of drive for thinness and bulimia when compared to biological males and females on the same questionnaire. Concerns about their body dissatisfaction were reduced very significantly after surgery as might have been expected. We also found significant levels of perfectionism, identified as excessive personal expectations for superior achievement on the Eating Disorders Inventory, in people with gender identity disorder when compared to the general population as well as to people with eating disorders. As far as we are aware, this is the first study to report such a finding. Some reasons for this are considered in this paper.