Eating disorder symptoms and concerns about body differ as a function of gender and sexual orientation

This investigation studied eating disorder symptoms and psychosocial correl ates of eating disorders among heterosexual females, lesbians, heterosexual males, and gay males. The dependent variables of the study measured: depre ssion, concern for physical appearance, personal evaluation of physical app earance, perceived sociocultural pressure for thinness, media influences pr omoting thinness, and overconcern with body size/shape. A sample of 412 you ng adults was studied, including 97 heterosexual males, 116 heterosexual fe males, 110 gay males, and 89 lesbians. Heterosexual females were found to r eport the highest level of eating disorder symptoms and concern with body s ize/shape. Heterosexual males reported the lowest level of eating disorder symptoms and concern with body size/shape, with gay males and lesbians fall ing between these two groups. Lesbians reported the least concern for physi cal appearance. Of the variables which were studied, overconcern with body size/shape was the strongest psychosocial correlate of eating disorder symp toms in heterosexual females, gay males, and lesbians. We concluded that ea ting disorder symptoms and concerns about body size were similar for hetero sexual females, gay males, and lesbians, but were quite different for heter osexual males.