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. 2024 Jan 17;21(1):106.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph21010106.

Self-Objectification, Disordered Eating and Sexual Orientation in Men

Rachel Bachner-Melman  1   2 , Lilac Lev-Ari  1   3 , Hadar Tiram  1 , Ada H Zohar  1   3
Affiliations

Self-Objectification, Disordered Eating and Sexual Orientation in Men

Rachel Bachner-Melman et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The interplay between disordered eating, depressive symptoms and self-objectification differs between genders and sexual orientations, and merits further study in homosexual and heterosexual men. We examined disordered eating, depressive symptoms and self-objectification in a sample of Israeli heterosexual and homosexual men. Participants were 215 men aged 19-65, 108 of whom were classified by the Kinsey scale as being heterosexual and 107 as homosexual. They completed online measures of self-objectification, disordered eating and depressive symptoms. Heterosexual men reported lower levels of disordered eating and self-objectification than homosexual men, however the difference in depressive symptoms was not statistically significant. Correlations between disordered eating, self-objectification and depressive symptoms when controlling for age, BMI and number of children were all significant, with similar patterns of association for heterosexual and homosexual men. Self-objectification partially mediated the association between sexual orientation and disordered eating. However, contrary to our hypothesis, sexual orientation (homosexual/heterosexual) did not moderate the association between disordered eating and self-objectification. The tendency of homosexual men towards self-objectification is linked to unhealthy eating habits. Self-objectification helps explain the propensity of homosexual versus heterosexual men to develop disordered eating and possibly eating disorders. It should therefore be targeted in prevention and in therapy.

Keywords: depressive symptoms; disordered eating; men; self-objectification; sexual orientation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Differences between homosexual and heterosexual men for disordered eating (EDE-Q-13), self-objectification (LSOQ) and depressive symptoms, while controlling for age, BMI and number of children. Note: + p < 0.10, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mediation model of self-objectification and depressive symptoms on the association between sexual orientation and disordered eating.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Moderation model of sexual orientation on the association between disordered eating and self-objectification.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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