Gender Identity and Its Relationship to Eating Disorders
Research says transgender men and women, gender dysphoric individuals, and those who identify as non-binary are more susceptible to eating disorders.
By: Irene Schultz
Young adults and adolescents develop their appearance ideals from media, social media, dating apps, family, etc. Accordingly, research indicates that individuals identifying with a different gender than assigned at birth tend to relate their appearance ideals based on sources that align with their gender identity.
We aim to shed light on the relationship between gender identity and eating disorders, offering insight into the challenging landscape you or your loved one may face. No matter where you are on your journey, the information shared here can serve as a first step towards a deeper understanding and empower you to meet these challenges with courage, knowledge, and hope. Remember, you deserve support as you pursue recovery and learn to honor your identity.
Gender Identity and Appearance Ideals
Gender-expansive, transgender, pangender, gender-fluid, genderqueer, and nonbinary individuals may feel that their physical body does not match their identity. People on the gender identity spectrum can feel pressure to subscribe to society’s beauty standards that do not consider their experience.
Gender Identity and Eating Disorder Prevalence
Therefore, eating disorder symptomology, including the desire for thinness, body dissatisfaction, concern about body shape and size, and level of femininity/masculinity, is significant in sexual minorities, regardless of sex assigned at birth. When a person’s gender identity does not match their sex at birth or body shape, they can experience significant body dissatisfaction. Body dissatisfaction is a considerable risk factor for eating disorders and disordered eating behavior. Gender-expansive and transgender individuals can exhibit more body dissatisfaction as they feel pressured to fit a particular aesthetic.
Gender Dysphoria and Body Image
Gender roles that define how women and men are supposed to look contribute to experiences of gender dysphoria amongst transgender people. Gender dysphoria is a feeling of disparity between one’s internal gender identity and their physical body, and it causes great psychological distress. When suffering from gender dysphoria, it can feel as though society does not see a person’s body as they see it. This discrepancy between how a person sees themselves and how others see them can lead to disordered eating behaviors.
For example, transmasculine people may desire to shrink their hips or breasts through restrictive behaviors. At the same time, transfeminine individuals may engage in disordered eating to lose muscle and meet the problematic, heteronormative standard of female beauty. No matter your experience, navigating societal beauty standards without the harmful influence of diet culture can be challenging.
Eating Disorders among Gender Expansive Populations
Transgender people, those who identify as a different gender than assigned at birth, and those who identify as nonbinary, agender, genderqueer, and so on, are afflicted by eating disorders at a higher rate than cisgender people. Trans folks also self-report higher rates of compensatory behaviors.
Transgender men and women may fear not “passing” as a man or woman based on society’s media-based standards. So, while the cultural ideals of beauty are already unattainable for most of us in society, they can feel nearly impossible to achieve for many transgender people trying to live authentically as their true selves. Unfortunately, diet culture influences people to use disordered behaviors to feel seen and accepted in our appearance-focused society. The longing to avoid discrimination and feel accepted for one’s true self in society can, unfortunately, lead to the development of eating disorders.
Understanding these attitudes and behaviors in gender-expansive and transgender populations is necessary for developing tailored recovery support and alternative treatments for gender-dysphoric concerns. If you or someone you love is grappling with an eating disorder and their gender identity, remember these struggles are real and challenging, but they are not insurmountable. With affirming support, empathy, and a care plan tailored to your unique needs, you can achieve a lasting recovery and embrace your authentic self.
Join us on Friday, June 30th, at 12:00 pm EST for a FREE Body Image and the Queer Community: The Ways Gender and Sexuality Shape Self-Image Webinar. During this webinar, we delve into meaningful discussions, share insights, and explore strategies for fostering a positive body image in a supportive and inclusive environment. Register here to secure your spot for this free webinar and connect with a community committed to fostering authentic body acceptance, self-empowerment, and sustainable recovery.
This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Irene Schultz (she/her).
Irene is a professional dancer/actress based in Manhattan, NYC. She holds a B.F.A. in Commercial Dance and a B.A. in English/Writing from Pace University. Growing up in the arts and entertainment industry, with its extreme focus on thinness, Irene experienced and witnessed firsthand the detrimental effects of toxic diet culture. Irene completed her M.Ed. in Health Education and Promotion at Plymouth State University, where she was enrolled in the Eating Disorders Institute, the only graduate program in the world approved by the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP), and the nation’s only eating disorder specialist certificate program of it’s kind. When she is not onstage performing, Irene enjoys hiking, swimming, traveling, cooking, doing yoga, cuddling with her cat, and helping other artists and individuals heal their relationship with food and their bodies. She is excited to combine her passions for eating disorder recovery and writing by contributing to the Balance blog.
References
Harriger. J. Parker, L. “Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating Behaviors in the LGBT Population: A Review of the Literature - Journal of Eating Disorders.” BioMed Central, 16 Oct. 2020, https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-020-00327-y.
Hungate, Raylene. “Eating Disorder Attitudes and Behaviors among Non-Binary Individuals.” Eating Disorder Hope, 27 May 2021, https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/eating-disorder-attitudes-and-behaviors-among-non-binary-individuals.
Muhlheim, Lauren. “Eating Disorders in Transgender People.” Verywell Mind, 12 Oct. 2021, https://www.verywellmind.com/eating-disorders-in-transgender-people-4582520.