When people picture someone with an eating disorder, many think of a thin, teenage girl with anorexia nervosa. This stereotype is so pervasive it can feel like a fact.

The reality is that eating disorders affect people of all ages, body sizes, cultures, races, sexes, genders and sexualities. In 2023, around 1.1 million Australians (around 4.5% of the population) were living with an eating disorder.

A growing body of evidence suggests LGBTQIA people are particularly vulnerable to developing eating disorders. But we still need more research to understand how and why they affect this group more.

Here’s what we know so far about LGBTQIA people’s higher risk – and what treatment actually works for them.

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that affect a person’s eating behaviours. They can harm both physical and mental health.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most well-known eating disorders, but the most common are actually binge eating disorder (eating a lot in a short amount of time and feeling out of control) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (restricting eating because of sensory sensitivity,........

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