Disordered Eating with the LGBTQ2+ Community
Last month I was graciously approached to participate in a Recovery Talk with the Looking Glass Foundation for Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Eating Disorders and disordered eating behaviors are topics that touch closely to my heart. As someone who has personal experience with disordered eating as well as who has seen the dangerous impacts of eating disorders first hand, I was honoured when given the opportunity to share the research and open up dialogue to hard topics.
Throughout this writing I will be speaking to the issues that the LGBTQ2+ community faces relating to eating disorders with a highlight on considerations for trans and Gender Diverse folks.
Research shows that members of the LGBTQ community are particularly likely to experience eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors. With Trans individuals engaging in weight control behaviors more frequently than cisgender adults.
Why?
Systemic violence can impact how queer and trans folks perceive and witness their own bodies. In the Western culture, in which I am writing about this, we are saturated in extremely gendered beauty standards based in rigid binaries and rules about what men and women are “supposed to” look like. Eating disorders and struggles with body image are often a symptom of the ongoing trauma associated with living in a cissexist, patriarchal, and queer hostile society. Particularly in my line of work, I see the impacts of living in such an environment – with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and perfectionist tendencies at an all-time high. Adding to the need to find a sense of comfort and control in an unaccepting world.
But we are expanding out, we are leaning more into inclusivity you might say, androgyny is more mainstream. I challenge you for a minute, to think about an androgynous person. What image comes to mind? What does this person look like? Where does this idea come from?
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When I was researching androgynous, image after image popped up of a very slender person, a petite frame, in oversized clothing or a suite, a short hairstyle. If this is the only image that we are absorbing of what it means to be an androgynous person, where does that leave everyone else who doesn’t fit into yet another binary box.
Intersectionality and identity
Within each of us are a whole rainbow of identities and stories. Each one of our identities, comes with a whole history of expectations, stereotypes and biases, that are influenced from our families, our friends, from cultural history and from society at large. Implicit and explicit messaging of what it means to be the “right kind” of ____ person is often directed to us through large media structures. These messages then become internalized and become difficult to see; and we might see them as just the way that things are. Gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity all uniquely contribute to the pressure to appear a certain way.
We can begin to break down some of the stereotypes and biases we might hold by remaining curious to our own experiences, by recognizing the pressures and where they come from. We can reclaim our own uniqueness by taking possession of the narrative of our own lives, and living our own truth.
What are some of the intersecting parts of your identity?
Which parts of your identity are most important to you?
Which part of your identity do you think people first notice about you?
What parts of other people’s identities do you notice first?
A pressure to change
According to Statista Market Forecast, the forecast revenue in the Beauty and Personal Care Market amounts to 571 billion dollars in the US in 2023. In our capitalist, misogynistic, cis-heteronormative society, we are encouraged not only to change our hair colour, our skin tone, the clothes in our closet; we are also encouraged to shrink our bodies, our voice and ourselves. And if we are unable to meet these unreasonable expectations, the only thing left to do is to hide or disconnect from parts of ourselves. In a world that tells us the problem must be you, and then sell you the solution. I want to share, that the problem is not you! The problem is that we live in a culture that is shaped by misogyny, ageism, fatphobia, transphobia and homophobia.
Self-Love as an act of rebellion
There are multiple protective factors that have been shown to decrease the harmful risks of disordered eating for trans or gender diverse folks; such as access to gender affirming medical care or caring, reliable and accepting relationships; however, I want to focus on one of the protective factors that I utilize the most in my practice; Sonya Renee Taylor said it best, Radical Self-Love. Before I hop in, I do want to highlight, that body acceptance or even body neutrality does not have to be the goal – especially if you live in a body that does not represent who you are.
One research article I found stated that Self-love has been shown to help with emotion regulation, reduce harsh judgements and criticism. Those with higher levels of self-love experience lower levels of thinness related pressures particularly from the media.
10 steps to Practice Self
I found a beautiful article written by Shannon Weber on the Body is Not an Apology Website. I have tailored it a bit and added a few of my own twists on it.
“Self-love is crucial for surviving and thriving in an oppressive society hellbent on making us feel like we’re wrong or not enough. But precisely because of this society, cultivating self-love can be difficult”.
10 steps to practice self-love
Be a better friend to self – treat yourself the same way that you would someone that you truly love and care about
Give yourself the permission to accept your own compassion – we all need love and support – you could try the mantra “I am worthy of my own compassion” – what might your mantra be?
Follow what your heart wants - even if this means it going against the grain (maybe especially if it means going against the grain)
Tuning in to nourishing your body – what are some of the things that you body likes? 8 hours of sleep? A hot bath? Soft clothing? Having dance parties in the kitchen?
Asking for help – we need each other! It is an act of strength and bravery to ask for help
You are a physical embodiment of the whole universe - Remember you are made up of the same molecules as the stars
Imagine the version of yourself that you want to be – let them be your guide, how do they feel? What would they do?
Recognize when the negative self-talk starts to creep back in – where did this come from? When did it start? Why is it here? do you know others who share this same voice? Find connection, find someone who can offer their voice of compassion if you can’t find your own.
Remember! Self-love isn’t a linear process. It will ebb and flow and sometimes feel easy peasy lemon squeezy and other times it will be hard, hard lemon hard.
If you or someone you know might be struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating behaviours. Know that there is help out there.
The Looking Glass Foundation for Eating Disorders is a non-profit organization proivding accessible services to community members in need, no matter where they are in their journey. For more information click here.
If you are interested in connecting with a therapist, you can reach out to me. If I am not the right person for you, I will connect you with someone who might be.
With Love,
Chantelle
Resources
Bell, K., Riegner E. & Hirshch, J. (2019). Eating Disorder Symptoms and Proneness in Gay Men, Lesbian Women, and Transgender and Gender Non-conforming Adults: Comparative Levels and a Proposed Mediational Model. Frontiers in Psychology. Doi 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.026962
Corcoine, A. (2021), How Eating disorders impact queer and Trans People https://lgbtq.includedhealth.com/blog/lgbtq/how-eating-disorders-impact-queer-and-trans-people/
FedUp (2023) – Fighting Eating Disorders in Underrepresented Populations: A trans+ & Intersex collectivehttps://fedupcollective.org
Myhill, J. (2022). Eating Disorders and Gender Affirming Care: Clinical Considerations for Trans, Non-Binary and Gender Diverse Clients. Queering Mental Health Conference 2022
Parker, L & Harriger, J (2020). Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating Behaviors in the LGBT Population: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Eating Disorders (2020) 8:51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00327-y
Pink News (2019). Eating Disoders in the LGBTQ Community – Coming out Twice Documentary. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHZzEPsIuDk
Shannon Weber (2019). Self-Love Isn’t Easy: 10 Difficult Things I Do to Practice Radical Self Love. https://thebodyisnotanapology.com/magazine/self-love-isnt-easy-10-difficult-things-i-do-to-practice-radical-self-love/
Statista (2023). Consumer Market Insights – Beauty and Personal Care - Worldwide https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/beauty-personal-care/worldwide
Vaughn Darst – TEDxUSC (2019). In a World That is Wrong About Us - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ31Vc8wtHc
