This study did not originally set out to address the issue of eating disorders. It was meant to look at the links between stress and its affects on health, which attracted a variety of unbiased participants of all different sexual orientations, Meyer said.
The study surveyed 516 New York City residents -- 216 straight men and 300 gay and bisexual men and women. The results revealed that more than 15 percent of gay and bisexual men suffered some from of a subclinical eating disorder -- which includes anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating -- compared to the less than five percent of straight men, according to a Columbia University press release.
"There is no straight forward answer to why this is," Meyer said. "Whether there is strictly a difference in prevalence or maybe straight men are just not coming forward about [eating disorders] and receiving treatment."
The study also looked to see if gay men who felt a stronger connection to the gay community were at a greater risk for an eating disorder than those who were not active members in the community. However, the research showed no support for this idea, Meyer said.
"The belief that gay men are exposed to more body emphasis and pressure on appearance than heterosexual men has been a common belief," said Mary Anne Knapp, clinical social worker at the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Penn State.
While researchers did not test the causes behind the increased risk, Meyer believes that exposure to magazines and other forms of media might play a role.
"For women there is a societal standard, whether they are bisexual, straight or lesbian, to meet that size zero," Todd Swagler (sophomore-animal bioscience), who is openly gay, said.
"But for gay men, maybe it's the fear that they won't fit in or find the right someone, but it creates a pressure to maintain a certain body type. I don't know about bisexuals, but you can definitely see it in gay men," Swagler said.
President of SpeakOUT Christina Swomley (senior-psychology) said she personally agrees with the results.
"I have watched documentaries and read similar studies on the subject," she said.
"In any subculture there are standards. I think that in the media, television, movies, magazines, we are brought up to strive to look like what we see,"she said.
Swomley said she does not know why these problems seem to be more prevalent among gay men, except that they seem to be more dominant in the media than lesbian women.
"Many gay and bisexual men feel a need to hide when they are at critical times in their development," Knapp said.
"Eating disorders and focusing on the body can serve as a way to feel in control of life and weight, distract from emotional issues and provide comfort and numbing through binging," she said.
Unlike men, all women are at the same level of susceptibility for eating disorders, according to the study.
"As the results of the study show, lesbians are no different than heterosexual women other than their sexual preference," Meyer said.
Knapp said while historically it was felt that lesbian women were more protected from eating disorders, as this study suggests, all women experience the same body appearance pressures.
"Like women, gay and bisexual men are being told by society that they aren't OK as they are," Knapp said.
