Body Image Disorders

GLBTT* people are not immune to body image disorders. Health concerns related to body image often make the top-ten list of GLBTT* health issues. While body image disorders are often diagnosed as a form of mental illness, these labels may create or perpetuate fears and misunderstandings about who we are as GLBTT* people. What counts as a disorder may in fact be what we see as the essence of who we are, as in trans people who are labelled as having Gender Identity Disorder. Or, we may develop patterns of relating to our bodies that help us to cope in a society that often marginalizes and exposes GLBTT* people to many health risks (see Oppression).

We’ve included a basic description of some of the common body disorders that GLBTT* people experience, including eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, and gender dysphoria. There are links where you can get connected with more information, but if you think you might be struggling with a body image disorder, we recommend looking beyond the internet for help. At the end of this section, there are some resources you might consider accessing.

Eating Disorders

There are several forms of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Research has shown that gay and bisexual men suffer from eating disorders in much higher rates than heterosexual men. However, LBTT* women are also at risk, since overall the number of women who have eating disorders is significantly higher than men.

People with eating disorders often struggle with other forms of distress, such as depression, addictions, and anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours. GLBTT* people are often coping with more pressures than the average population, and as a result, we have high rates of depression and suicide. An eating disorder may develop as a way of coping with stress and avoiding more harmful behaviours such as suicide.

There are links below that can give you more information about specific eating disorders, but here is a quick overview.

Anorexia: Includes anorexia nervosa that may or may not involve binge eating and purging, and anorexia athletica, which involves a compulsive or addictive need to exercise. Whether through exercise or restricting the food that enters or remains in the body, there is an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted image of one’s healthy body weight.
Bulimia: Bulimia nervosa is characterized by binge eating—eating beyond what is necessary or healthy for a person’s body size. There is a lack of control over what is eaten, and this is followed by actions to try to make up for overeating. The person may vomit or use laxatives and enemas. They may also avoid food by fasting, or engage in excessive exercise.
Binge Eating: Binge eating is eating a larger amount of food in a certain time period than is needed or healthy for one’s body size. Everyone has likely engaged in binge eating at a buffet dinner or during the holidays. But binge eating becomes a disorder when it is an ongoing behaviour which the person has little or no control over. They may eat until the point of discomfort, even when they’re not hungry, and feel embarrassed or guilty about their behaviour.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

Body dysmorphic disorder is when someone thinks a part of their body is misshapen or out of proportion, or has some other defect. It is common for just about everyone to have a body part or two that they would change if they could. But body dysmorphic disorder is diagnosed when a person’s fears and obsessions about their body interfere with everyday living. Whether the body part(s) is/are on the face and therefore visible to people all the time, or somewhere usually covered by clothing, a person with BDD will feel extremely self-conscious of these parts. Some of the symptoms of BDD include either excessive avoidance of or reliance on mirrors, or extreme fear of cameras or social interactions.

Gender Dysphoria

Gender dysphoria is an extreme discomfort with one’s socially-assigned gender, and therefore not technically a body image disorder. Gender dysphoria is a symptom of Gender Identity Disorder (GID), which is when a person identifies as a different gender than the one they were assigned at birth. In other words, someone born male identifies as female or not male, and someone born female identifies as male or not female. GID is the medical diagnosis given to people who are transsexual or transgender. It does not always explain or account for exactly how a transsexual or transgender person feels.

Often, people who experience gender dysphoria find relief when they transition to the gender that feels natural and authentic to them. This transition may include interventions such as counseling, hormones and surgery, and/or changes to clothing, legal name(s), behaviours, or pronouns (he/him to she/her, etc.)