Nancy Laws: Why I Do Not Support The #ImNoAngel and the Love Your Body Campaigns

Parents and doctors assume eating disorders very rarely affect males. However, a study of 5,527 teenage males from across the US challenges this belief. Researchers found 17.9 percent of adolescent boys were extremely concerned about their weight and physique. These boys were more likely to start engaging in risky behaviors, including drug use and frequent binge drinking.

Transgender and non-transgender lesbian, gay and bisexual students are at greater risk for eating disorders, finds a new study. The study used data from the American College Health Association–National College Health Assessment, a survey of 289,024 students from 223 U.S. universities. Researchers found that the rates of self-reported eating disorders were highest in transgender people. Heterosexual men had the lowest rates.

Two new studies shed light on the propensity for habit formation in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These studies suggest that a tendency to develop habits, i.e., the compulsive component of the disorder, may be a core feature of the disorder rather than a consequence of irrational beliefs. In other words, instead of washing one’s hands because of the belief that they are contaminated, some people may develop concerns about hand contamination as a consequence of a recurring urge to wash their hands.