Eating Disorder Behaviors Among Transgender Individuals: Exploring the Literature

BACKGROUND: Many transgender individuals of varying ages are at risk of developing eating disorder behaviors or unhealthy weight management behaviors. AIMS: This article reports the results of a review of the current literature on eating disorder behaviors among transgender individuals. METHODS: A literature search using CINAHL Complete, PubMed, and PsychInfo was conducted using key words “eating disorder,” “eating disorder behaviors,” and “transgender.” Results were narrowed through author review and concurrence to eight peer-reviewed English language articles from 2013 to 2018. RESULTS: Four main themes emerged across the articles reviewed: gender characteristics and body dissatisfaction, public affirmations and stigma, amenorrhea, and mental health treatment and therapies. CONCLUSIONS: There is still much exploration needed to better care for this population in a sensitive and timely manner. Many valuable clinical implications have emerged from the current literature, which provide a positive step toward optimal individualized patient care.