[News/Health/Science] [USA] Transgender Youth Face Unique Risk For Eating Disorders

[Stephanie Stevens]

Think Progress, DC, USA


Transgender Youth Face Unique Risk For Eating Disorders | A new study
at Washington State University examined the body satisfaction of
transgender youth and young adults
<http://news.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=31713&TypeID=1>
and found that 17 percent of participants reported having experienced
an eating disorder. As research Cindy Ola explains, “Transgender
individuals may attempt to make clear their internal and external self
by forming an identity that matches their gender identity. Therefore,
these individuals find themselves dealing with body dissatisfaction,
experience negative relationships with their reflection in the mirror,
and may alter their appearance in numerous ways to achieve a suitable
gender identity.” Forty of the 65 respondents expressed
dissatisfaction with their bodies, and 21 of them attributed that
feeling to gender-related issues. Those who felt better about their
bodies credited hormone therapy and sexual reassignment surgery to
their improved self-image and well-being.

By Zack Ford on May 15, 2012 at 12:10 pm


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http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/05/15/484489/transgender-youth-face-unique-risk-for-eating-disorders/