Homosexual Eating Disorders

Eating disorders is an illness that can impact a person 's eating habits and can cause an unhealthy relationship with food. Many people who suffer from eating disorders can attribute the cause of said disorder to various causes such as societal pressures and psychological factors. Furthermore, it has been shown by research that eating disorders can be caused by genetic and biological factors passed down by parents and ancestors. Eating disorders have three different branches characterized by the person 's relation with food. Anorexia nervosa is a form of an eating disorder in which the person does not intake the amount of food that is required to maintain proper weight. In doing so, they eat smaller portions and have a low calorie count …show more content…
It is stereotypical to conclude that only females can suffer from an eating disorder, but contrary to belief approximately ten to fifteen percent of people who suffer from eating disorders are males. Moreover, homosexual males are higher risk to have an eating disorder. Research on male eating disorders may be of limited nature due to the stigma that eating disorders are only a woman 's disease. Males are less likely to report that they are suffering from an eating disorder, yet alone seek treatment. Using various sources and research done by various scientists, the exploration of why homosexual males are at a higher risk to have an eating disorder will be explored. The relationship between the media, societal pressures , and body image will be examined. In addition, the attitudes and behaviors that can impact whether or not they would have an eating disorder will be examined. Further, I will attempt to understand why homosexual males are at higher risk of an eating disorder than straight …show more content…
In all studies, it was reported that societal pressures lead them to believe that they were not thin enough and led to anxiety in regards to their bodies. Most of the populations used in the four experiments reported that they feared getting fat and worried more about appearance. Societal pressures and media influences did impact how they did view themselves and what the perfect person and physique were supposed to look like. Certain attitudes and behaviors towards the self definitely put the males at risk to develop an eating disorder. The articles did not contradict each other, and came together to answer the specific question as to why homosexual males are more vulnerable to eating disorders. They were vulnerable due to their attitudes and societal