Sexual orientation and weight, body image, and weight control practices among young Australian women.
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| Title: | Sexual orientation and weight, body image, and weight control practices among young Australian women. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Polimeni A (AUTHOR), Austin SB (AUTHOR), Kavanagh AM (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Women's Health (15409996). Mar2009, Vol. 18 Issue 3, p355-362. 8p. |
| Subjects: | Weight loss, Sexual orientation, Body image in women, Eating disorders in women, Obesity in women, Public health laws |
| Geographic Terms: | Australia |
| Abstract: | Objectives: We compare weight, body image, and weight control practices of young adult Australian women according to sexual orientation. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses of the second survey of 9683 young adult women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH); the weight, weight control practices, and body image of exclusively heterosexual, mainly heterosexual, bisexual, and lesbian women were compared. Results: Lesbians were less likely to be dissatisfied with their body image (body weight: β −0.64, 95% CI −1.10- −0.18; body shape: β −0.83, 95% CI −1.27- −0.40; overall: β −0.74, 95% CI −1.14- −0.32), to cut down on fats and sugars (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.34-0.85), and to engage in healthy weight control practices overall (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29-0.81) compared with exclusively heterosexual women. Compared with exclusively heterosexual women, bisexual women were more likely to weight cycle (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.22-4.03). Compared with exclusively heterosexual women, mainly heterosexual and bisexual women were more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control practices overall (mainly heterosexual: OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.42-2.17; bisexuals: OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.57-5.33), such as smoking (mainly heterosexuals: OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.38-2.44; bisexuals: OR 3.80, 95% CI 1.94-7.44) and cutting meals (mainly heterosexuals: OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.23-2.02; bisexual women: OR 3.45, 95% CI 1.82-6.54). Mainly heterosexual women were more likely to vomit (mainly heterosexuals: OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.73-3.36) and use laxatives (mainly heterosexuals: OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.12-2.19). Conclusions: Future research should explore why bisexual and mainly heterosexual women are at higher risk of disordered eating behaviours. Understanding why lesbians have a healthier body image would also provide insights into how to improve the body image of other groups. It is critical that public health policy and practice address less healthy weight control practices of sexual minority groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Women's Health (15409996) is the property of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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