Commentary: Lesbians should take the lead in removing the stigma that has long been associated with body weight.

Abstract

There is a general assumption that lesbians weigh more than heterosexual women and that, consequently, there is a need for culturally sensitive weight loss programs for lesbians. This commentary reviews some of the confounding variables in studies on weight, weight loss, and health among lesbians. It also reviews research on lesbians and body satisfaction, and on weight and sexual attractiveness. I conclude by urging lesbians to adopt the Health at Every Size (HAES) model instead of dieting, and to assume leadership in modeling positive body acceptance for all women. Eight years after the Stonewall riots and two years after the American Psychological Association urged mental health profes- sionals to take the lead in removing the stigma that has long been associated with homosexual orientations (Conger, 1975, p. 633), Steve Morin (1977) reviewed bias in research on lesbians and gay men. He found that the majority of studies focused on determining the causes of homosexuality and attempting (unsuccessfully) to reorient homosexuals to become heterosexual. Morin stated (p. 237): First, research reflects the value systems of its investigators and the social climate within which it takes place. Most research is conducted within the institutional framework of funding, prestige, and scientific respectability. Investigators are most likely to do research that is acceptable to others and that, above all, is publishable. Nearly four decades later, paralleling the early research and unsuccessful attempts to change sexual orientation, clinicians and researchers continue to promote dieting. In this article, I will discourage lesbians to submit to the weight loss industry by reviewing studies on lesbians and weight, health, weight loss, and body satisfaction.