Report: Trans, Non-binary Youth at highest Risk for Eating Disorders

A new research brief from The Trevor Project shows LGBTQ+ youth are at a higher risk of eating disorders, especially "transgender boys and non-binary youth assigned female at birth," political news site The Hill reported.

Overall, around "9 percent of LGBTQ+ youth reported being diagnosed with an eating disorder," the site said, while a much higher percentage thought they might have an eating disorder, but had not been diagnosed as such.

The Trevor Project linked eating disorders with an increase in suicidal behavior, noting that "LGBTQ youth who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder reported nearly four times greater odds of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who never had, or suspected they had, an eating disorder."

That correlation, the Trevor Project suggested, is not a coincidence. "In alignment with the minority stress model," text at the group's site noted, "past studies have found higher rates of eating disorders and suicide risk among LGBTQ individuals to be related to experiences of bullying and discrimination, as well as internalized stigma based on their LGBTQ identity and the concealment of their LGBTQ identity."

Nor is the correlation between trans males and non-binary youth who were assigned female at birth coincidental, the Trevor Project said. "A review of disordered eating among transgender individuals found that body dissatisfaction is a common stressor and places some transgender individuals at greater risk for disordered eating," the text explained.

Using infographics, The Trevor Project broke down its findings in greater detail:

Overall, 9% of LGBTQ youth ages 13–24 stated that they have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, with an additional 29% stating they haven't ever been diagnosed but suspect that they might have an eating disorder. Cisgender LGBQ boys/men reported the lowest rates of both being diagnosed with or suspecting they have an eating disorder. Transgender boys/men and nonbinary youth assigned female at birth (AFAB) had the highest rates of both being diagnosed with and suspecting they have an eating disorder. Cisgender girls/women, transgender girls/women, and nonbinary youth assigned male at birth (AMAB) had similar rates of being diagnosed with or suspecting they have an eating disorder.

The group also made an effort to expand the inclusivity of its research.

"Going a step further than similar surveys, The Trevor Project wanted to capture the full scope of the LGBTQ community by depicting a picture that wasn't predominantly or solely white," Healthline noted.

"They found that 12 percent of Native American and 10 percent of Indigenous youth as well as multiracial young people reported having been officially diagnosed with an eating disorder – some of the highest rates among those surveyed," the Healthline article went on to specify, adding that "Five percent of Asian Pacific Islander LGBTQ youth reported having an eating disorder diagnosis, while 4 percent of Black youth did."

For LGBTQ+ youth, who face disparities in healthcare, the problem is compounded, since non-cisgender and non-heterosexual youths "may avoid seeking care out of fear of being mistreated or stigmatized by healthcare providers," Dr. Amy Green, the vice president of research for the Trevor Project, told Healthline.

Even healthcare providers who do not bring bias into the exam room might fall short, Green said: "Unfortunately, many doctors lack the cultural competencies needed to provide LGBTQ youth with the care they deserve."