Body dissatisfaction, abnormal eating behaviours and eating disorder attitude in homo- and heterosexuals

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sexual orientation and disordered eating attitudes and behaviours in a sample of homosexuals and heterosexuals subject.

We screened 110 homosexuals (85 males and 25 females) and 121 heterosexuals (85 males and 36 females) by means of: a) an ad hoc socio-demographic schedule; b) the Eating Disorders Inventory 2 (EDI 2); the Eating Disorders Inventory 2 - Symptom Checklist (EDI-SC); the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT).

Male homosexuals obtained much higher scores than male heterosexuals on the EDI 2 Drive for thinness, Bulimia, Ineffectiveness, Interoceptive awareness, Impulse regulation scales and on all the BUT subscales. Similarly, with regard to eating behaviours, a significantly higher frequency in the use of strategies to compensate weight increase was observed. On all these scales the sample of homosexual males did not show any significant differences from the group of hetero- and homosexual women. The male homosexuals who claimed they were not in a stable relationship scored higher in all the variables considered.

Our findings seem to suggest that homosexual orientation is associated with greater body dissatisfaction and abnormal eating behaviours in males, in particular among those who claimed they were not in a sentimental relationship.