Talking eating disorders with LGBQ patients.
Talking eating disorders with LGBQ patients.
Hi Lyle, Thank you for coming in today. I am excited to check in about your progress with school. On your paperwork you indicated that your first term has been stressful. Are you handling the stress okay?
Hey there doc. Yeah I guess I am handling the stress sort of well. I am pretty tired and I don’t have much time to get to the gym, which creates even more stress.
Oh? How so?
Well, the freshman 15 made me fat! So I started a diet & plan to hit the gym hard after midterms & be chiseled again by Spring Break.
I see. Would be okay if we talked a bit more about your weight?
Sure.
Do you feel like your weight is unhealthy?
Not unhealthy. Just not attractive.
I see. Can you tell me a little bit more about your diet? A well-balanced diet is to important to ensure that your body gets the nutrients it needs. Do you think your eating plan hits these goals?
For my diet, I’m doing a modified intermittent fasting and the keto diet. I’ll eat one time per day and no carbs. Basically I try to not eat anything I can’t burn off! It’s definitely low calorie- and is not exactly nutritious. I eat a lot of jerky for snacks and I try to stick to just meat and eggs in the cafeteria.
Hmmm. Sometimes people think about how they are eating all day to the point that it is difficult to concentrate on anything else. Does that happen to you?
Yeah - I’m hungry a lot and I spend quite a bit of time thinking about what I am going to eat next. Sometimes I can’t help but to eat regular food.
How would your life be different if you didn't need to spend so much time thinking about your eating? Can you think of any ways to eat healthy options that allow you to reach your goals while focusing on your studies and not your hunger? Having more energy may also increase your motivation to workout.
Well…I would definitely be able to pay better attention in class and study a bit more. I have been thinking about changing my diet to something more sustainable and not so drastic. I think I will stop fasting and spend some time researching keto-friendly snacks to help me feel energized. I really want to start working out again.
Things to consider.
Gay and bisexual men are at increased risk for fat phobia and negative body image. Fear of rejection and the inability to meet body image ideals within some LGBQ culture or social media are risk factors for disordered eating behaviors.
For people with eating disorders, professional help is the best way to find healing and recovery. Early identification is key! Clinicians can use a simple tool such as the SBIRT for eating disorder to screen for disordered eating behaviors.
What are ways that you can incorporate screening tools for eating disorders into your practice?
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