Eating disorder can be treated in transgenders

• Western society's obsession with idealized body shapes are linked to eating disorders.
• Transgenders live in a dissatisfaction related to their body shape and weight.
• Hormone therapy is a way of countering this situation.

A study finds, hormone therapy can help in reducing the symptoms of eating disorders such as anorexia and binge-eating among transgenders.

Western society's obsession with an idealized image of beauty fueled a deep-seated unhappiness within people regarding their body. This directly links to eating disorders like self-induced vomiting and misuse of diet pills.

Transgenders live with a dissatisfaction related to their body shape and weight, which makes them vulnerable to developing eating disorders.

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Researchers found that hormone treatment can improve this situation, tone down levels of perfectionism and anxiety. It can boost self-esteem and alleviate eating disorder symptoms.

"Young transgender people may restrict their food as a way to control their puberty, stop their period or reduce the development of breasts. Hormone treatment might be able to improve eating disorder symptoms in this population," said Jon Arcelus, Professor at the University of Nottingham in the UK.

The team surveyed more than 560 transgenders, over the age of 17 years, 139 of which began the hormone treatment.

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The results showed that those not taking the hormone treatment were significantly more likely to report their need to be thin and be dissatisfied with their physique which further affected personal relationships and depression and anxiety.

Thus, eating disorder professionals should consider the gender identity of the person when assessing a person with symptoms of an eating disorder, the study suggested.

The study was published in journal European Eating Disorders Review. (IANS)