Background: Social media has been associated with body dissatisfaction and unhealthy weight control behaviors among young women and adolescent girls. However, recent evidence and clinical findings are showing susceptibility to body image pressures and similar eating disorder associations in sexual minority men. Eating disorder symptoms may be obscure and may be overlooked with traditional eating disorder assessment tools for treatment of this population. This presentation aims to explore the growing clinical observation and recent research associated with dating apps, body image, substance use, and dysfunctional eating patterns in sexual minority men.
Objectives: Identify three common behaviors among sexual minority men using dating apps that struggle with eating disorders and substance use disorder.
Utilize assessment tools to ask relevant questions to men using dating apps to evaluate for eating disorders or body image issues.
Explain the co-occurring interaction cycle between body image, external validation seeking through dating apps, eating disorders, and substance use disorder.
- Orientation and Overview
- Keyword definitions
- Specific population
- Addiction, eating disorders, mental health in the LGBTQI community
- The Origins; Trauma in the LGBTQI population
- Abuse, neglect, and/or trauma and impact on men’s emotions, thoughts, beliefs
- Gender expectations and the impact on behavior and relationships
- Intersection of trauma, addiction and mental health issues
- Oppression, shame, and stigma
- Addiction
- Most commonly used substances
- Criteria for addiction
- Process addiction; sex addiction, chemsex and party lifestyle
- Eating Disorders
- Differences in symptoms for men and women
- Compensatory behavior manifestation – exercise, supplements, steroids, etc
- Body dissatisfaction
- Social Media
- Glorification and objectification in social media of body ideals
- Relation to ED symptoms
- New drug dealer, rush of dopamine when using
- Discrimination of dating apps, perpetuating shame and internalized homophobia
- Different subclasses – dating, hook-up, friends, etc.
- Glorification and objectification in social media of body ideals
- Assessment Tools in Clinical Setting
- What to and to not say
- Being careful of stereotypes and labels – how to open the conversation
- Ways to ask inclusive questions that provide compassion and understanding for a more thorough assessment
- When discussing body image and/or eating disorder symptoms, sensitive or obscure ways to ask what we are looking to find
- Breaking stigma and providing inclusive awareness and treatment
- What to and to not say
- Research
- Dating app research is limited
- Qualitative and Quantitative findings
- Adverse outcomes in mental and physical health
- Call for need in research for this population
- Resources for treatment of clients
- Books and articles – thought leaders in the industry
- Community support groups, therapy, nutritional counseling
In addition to the growing body of evidence exploring the social determinants of body dissatisfaction and unhealthy weight control behaviors, the interaction of substance use and ‘hook-up’ apps has become ever more evident in the clinical setting. The term, ‘chemsex’ has been coined to explain the consumption of drugs to facilitate sexual activity. Often called “the sex drug,” crystal methamphetamine is the preferred substance for anonymous smart phone app hookups. Crystal meth stimulates profound feelings of euphoria, intensity, and power in the user, along with the drive to obsessively complete desired tasks, including having sex. In the world of chemsex, the drive to reach the ideal body type, size, shape is heavily emphasized and influenced to seek external validation, attract sexual partners, and ‘fit-in’ to the community of sexual minority men.
In this presentation, we will explain the notion of internalized homophobia: secrecy, dishonesty, horizontal oppression, mental and physical health issues, and problems with intimacy due to the belief that the homophobic lies about the LGBTQI community are true. We will explore evidence-based findings as well as clinical observations and case reports to explain the interaction of body image, substances, eating disorders and social media apps. The co-occurring disorders may often be treated independently, for instance, treating the substance use and not the eating disorder or body image issues. Neglecting to look at the entire interaction cycle, will lead the person to seek external validation, use manipulative food and body behaviors, and ultimately back to addiction and the eating disorder.
Ashley Lytwyn, MS, RDN, is the Director of Nutrition at Breathe Life Healing Centers, where she treats clients concurrently for eating disorders and substance use disorder. She believes in making peace with food and the body and aims to help individuals ditch the diet mentality and learn to nourish the body, mind, and soul. Ashley is particularly interested in the relationship between eating disorders and substance use and believes treating these diagnoses concurrently is optimal for long-term recovery. In addition to her work at Breathe, she owns and operates a private practice, focusing on eating disorders and disordered eating.
Alvin Tran, MPH, is a researcher with the Strategic Training Research Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Boston Children's Hospital. His research focuses on body image ideals, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and social media use among men, including sexual minority (gay and bisexual) men. He is currently exploring associations between dating app use and unhealthy weight control behaviors, including diet pill and laxative use for weight control.
