Children who identify themselves as part of a sexual or gender minority are at a higher likelihood of being obese, a new paper released in JAMA Pediatrics has determined.
The data of questionnaires belonging to about 12,000 children were analyzed by researchers. The survey asked for the participants’ gender, race, income amount, and body mass index (BMI). The participants were also asked about eating disorders.
According to researchers, a significant amount of participants who stated they identified themselves as part of a sexual or gender minority had higher BMI scores.
“Obesity and eating disorders in youth are prevalent and are associated with medical and psychosocial consequences, and may persist into adulthood. Therefore, identifying subgroups of youth vulnerable to 1 or both conditions is critical,” the study reads.
“One group that may be at risk for obesity and disordered eating is sexual and gender minorities (SGM; those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender or whose sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression do not conform to societal conventions).”
The study also showed that participants identified as part of a sexual or gender minority were at a higher risk of suffering from an eating disorder.
The study was conducted at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.