Editing Disordered eating (section)

=== Social stresses ===
Additional stress from outside the home environment influence disordered eating characteristics. Social stresses from peer environments, such as feeling out of place or discriminated against, has been shown to increase feelings of body shame and [[social anxiety]] in studies of minority groups that lead to a prevalence of disordered eating.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Mason|first1=Tyler B.|last2=Lewis|first2=Robin J.|year=2016|title=Minority Stress, Body Shame, and Binge Eating Among Lesbian Women: Social Anxiety as a Linking Mechanism|journal=Psychology of Women Quarterly|volume=40 | issue = 3 |pages=428–440|doi=10.1177/0361684316635529|s2cid=147427507 }}</ref>

A study published in the ''International Journal of Eating Disorders'' used data from the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Surveys from 1999 to 2013 to examine how disordered eating has trended in heterosexual versus LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexual) youth.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last1=Watson|first1=Ryan J.|last2=Adjei|first2=Jones|last3=Saewyc|first3=Elizabeth|last4=Homma|first4=Yuko|last5=Goodenow|first5=Carol|year=2017|title=Trends and Disparities in Disordered Eating Among Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Adolescents|journal=International Journal of Eating Disorders|volume=50 | issue = 1 |pages=22–31|doi=10.1002/eat.22576|pmc=5768430|pmid=27425253}}</ref> The data from over 26,000 surveys investigated the practices of [[Purging disorder|purging]], [[fasting]], and using diet pills. It was found that, "sexual minority youth report disproportionately higher prevalence of disordered eating compared to heterosexual peers: up to 1 in 4 sexual minority youth report…patterns of disordered eating…"<ref name=":3" /> In addition, the gap between the number of LGBT females and heterosexual females controlling weight in unhealthy ways has continued to widen.<ref name=":3" />

The concept this study proposed to explain this disparity comes from the [[minority stress]] theory. This states that unhealthy behaviors are directly related to the distal stress, or [[social stress]], that minorities experience.<ref name=":3" /> These stressors could include rejection or pressure by peers, and physical, mental, and emotional harassment.

A study published in ''[[Psychology of Women Quarterly]]'' explored the connection between social anxiety stresses and eating disordered habits more in depth in women in the LGBTQ community who were also racial minorities.<ref name=":2" /> Over 450 women ranked their interactions with everyday discrimination, their [[LGBT|LGBTQ]] identity, social anxiety, their objectified body consciousness, and an eating disorder inventory diagnostic scale. The findings of the compilation of survey responses indicated that increased discrimination led to proximal minority stress, leading to feelings of social anxiety and body shame, which could be directly associated with [[binge eating]], [[Bulimia nervosa|bulimia]], and other signs of disordered eating.<ref name=":2" /> It has also been suggested that being a “double” or “triple” [[Minority group|minority]] who experiences discrimination towards multiple characteristics contributes to more intense psychological distress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.<ref name=":2" />