June 11, 2010 | Health Matters

Does my sexuality make me look fat?

A report published in the 'American Journal of Public Health' has confirmed that gay men are normally in better shape than straight men. Gay men were actually 50 percent less likely to be obese.

The survey included more than 67,000 Massachusetts residents between the ages of 18 and 64.

This is the first study that looked at sexuality in relation to chronic illnesses like obesity and heart disease. Earlier studies focused more heavily on STIs and mental health. Kerith Conron, lead author of the new study, said, “This may mean that we in the public health community need to come up with more tailored messages to reach these groups, just as car dealers do when they want to reach a specific target audience.”

Sadly for gay women, lesbians are more likely to be heavier than their straight counterparts. Esther Rothblum, a professor of women’s studies, explained that “people in sexual relationships with men — heterosexual women and gay men — get more pressure to look thin and to otherwise conform to attractiveness norms than do people in sexual relationships with women — lesbians and heterosexual men.”

One more reason we want to be lesbians!

Gay guys really are thinner, study says [MSNBC]