Eating Disorders: An Intersectional Approach

Abstract

In the existing literature, most studies on Eating Disorders (EDs) have involved predominantly heterosexual women. This is due to the high prevalence of this disorder in the female population and to the difficulty in recruiting sufficiently large and diversified samples encompassing the plurality of the identity components potentially involved. In the existing literature, most studies on Eating Disorders (EDs) have involved predominantly heterosexual women. This is due to the high prevalence of this disorder in the female population and to the difficulty in recruiting sufficiently large and diversified samples encompassing the plurality of the identity components potentially involved. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the complexity of EDs’ clinical picture in both etiopathogenetic and intersectional terms, considering the multiplicity and specificity of the subjects with EDs or at high risk of developing it. A literature review on the prevalence of EDs in the LGBTQI + population is presented here. Particular attention has been paid to the peculiarities of each of the subjectivities of which each letter that makes up the acronym is an expression, highlighting some methodological issues that have limited data availability needed to accurately inform clinical work and treatment.

Keywords: LGBTQI+, eating disorders, intersectionality.