Research Into Eating Disorders, Body Image & Sexuality

In this weeks very special duo episode, Han is joined by Dr Kamila Irvine and Zoe Burnett. Kamila researcher and lecturer at the School of Psychology at the University of Lincoln, specialising in body image and eating disorders. Zoe is an award winning speak, author, trainee counsellor at First Steps ED, and has lived experience of atypical anorexia.For our pride month special, Dr Kamila and Zoe join us to speak about body image and eating disorders in lesbian and bisexual women. Dr Kamila has completed a number of research projects exploring body image in lesbian and bisexual women, revealing that body image may not be so different to straight women after all. Additionally to Dr Kamila's research, we discuss the unique challenges that lesbian and bisexual women may face that may increase the development of an eating disorder. As ever, we can appreciate that eating disorders are multi-factorial, however these factors may increase the prevalence of eating disorders. We also discuss topics such as objectification, body standards in the community, the impact of heterosexism and internalised beliefs regarding body image that relate to the topic. To find out more about Dr Kamila, you can follow her one @DrKIrvine or find her research here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kamila-Irvine. To find out more about Zoe, you can follow her on socials @BarefootRebel1 or visit https://www.barefootrebel.co.uk/.To find out more about First Steps ED, you can follow them on socials @firststepsed or visit https://firststepsed.co.uk/.Please note: this episode discusses the unique challenges that the LGBTQ+ community may face that may increase body image and eating disorder struggles. Please tread likely and check in with yourself along the way.