Examining Associations of Sexual Attraction and Attitudes on Women's Disordered Eating Behavior.

Abstract

We aimed to expand the scant research on disordered eating in women identifying same-sex sexual attractions. We used multiple linear regressions to explore potential mechanisms driving disordered eating--both explicit and implicit weight bias and heterosexism--in a cross-sectional, online-recruited community sample of women (N = 437). Participants endorsed a range of sexual attractions from exclusively opposite-sex (21.1%) to exclusively same-sex (19.5%) attraction. Findings revealed no associations between sexual attraction and disordered eating. Awareness of sociocultural norms valuing thinness accounted for disordered eating for all women, regardless of sexual attraction, and was influenced by attitudes regarding weight. Among women endorsing same-sex attractions, self-reported internalized heterosexism influenced disordered eating. Findings contradict long-held beliefs that same-sex attracted women are protected from disordered eating. They emphasize a universal risk, for all women, of sociocultural norms valuing thinness, as well as the risk of internalized heterosexism among same-sex attracted women.