It’s no secret that white, cisgender (which means you identify with the gender associated with your biological sex) women of privilege are the poster children for eating disorders, but new research suggests that transgender youth are more susceptible to developing eating disorders than their cisgender straight or gay peers. Researchers believe that this is a direct result of prevailing sentiments about gender identity, the stress related to coming out to peers, harassment, superfluous questions about their identity, and unstable home environments for transgender teens who are not supported by their families.

Eating disorders historically have been associated with heterosexual, white females, but recent studies are beginning to shed light on the prevalence of eating disorders in all demographics, hopefully helping to eradicate the stigma associated with its sufferers. A recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that transgender youth are four times more likely than their cisgender, heterosexual, female peers to report a diagnosed eating disorder and twice as likely to report abusing weight loss pills and engaging self-induced vomiting.

“Eating disorders among transgender and gender-variant individuals might be connected to types of oppression such as sexism, racism, and classism that a transgender individual with intersecting identities might face,” says Dr. Swapan Banerjee.

Transgender youth are using their relationship with food and their bodies to quell the development of features that don’t match their gender identity, which can lead to eating disorder development and a higher likelihood for dissatisfaction with their physical appearance.

Dr. Judith Brisman, founder of the Eating Disorder Resource Center explains, "There is a major difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating — disordered eating is about food, where as an eating disorder is about how someone feels about themselves."

"Gender dysphoria is overwhelming and emotionally challenging. To combat these intense emotions, disordered eating and starvation can be immediate, but problematic, attempts to handle these difficult feelings. With the cultural standard of ‘thin is good’ and a pressure to be the ‘right’ look and body type, the result can eventually turn into disordered eating in a scramble to solidify the confusion about one’s self.”

Gender dysphoria is defined by strong, persistent feelings of discomfort with your assigned sex. It also includes identifying with a gender that does not match the gender you were assigned at birth. Though not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria, many do, and it results in significant distress and anxiety.

Dr. Brisman continued, “Transgender women tend to be have more concerns about weight and body image than cisgender males and cisgender females, which can result in restrained eating habits."

Researchers have yet to quantify how beauty standards coupled with heteronormative precepts that are ubiquitous in American culture influence a person’s likelihood of developing an eating disorder.

One thing is certain: Transgender youth are using restrictive eating in an attempt to control and manipulate their physical appearance in an effort to attain cisgendered Western ideals that even most cisgender people can't even attain.

Related: Think Your BFF Might Have an Eating Disorder? Here's How You Can Help Her Get Through It

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