Sept. 9, 2003 -- Lesbian women appear to be more likely than heterosexual women to carry excess weight in places that put them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
In a newly-published study comparing a group of middle-aged lesbian women with their heterosexual sisters, the lesbian women tended to be heavier (with higher BMIs -- a measure of height to weight). They also carry weight around their waistlines rather than in the hips and thighs -- a fat distribution pattern seen in people with an increased risk for heart disease.
The weight distribution body type often referred to as "apple shape", in which the bulk of excess fat is primarily distributed around the abdomen, has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, as well as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
"It is impossible to say from this one study, but it looks like this pattern of fat distribution may be more common among lesbian women," researcher Stephanie A. Roberts, MD, tells WebMD.
"It has been known for several years that [compared with other women] lesbians tend to have a higher body mass index, but the new finding is that this additional weight appears to be fat and not muscle," she says.
Roberts, a doctor specializing in bariatric medicine, and colleagues from the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, surveyed 324 Lesbian women in California and a heterosexual, female sibling who was closest in age.
While average weights were higher than ideal in both groups, the lesbian women were slightly heavier (average BMI = 26.5, compared with 25.4 for the heterosexual sisters). But waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratios were significantly greater among the lesbian women. Although the average waistlines for the lesbian women were not above the cut off values associated with having an increased risk of heart disease, they were higher than their heterosexual sisters. This may put them at more of a risk for heart disease, the study shows. The average waist size among the lesbians was 34.2 inches versus 32.4 inches for their sisters.
The research is published in the September issue of the journal Women's Health Issues.
Roberts says the findings must be confirmed in larger trials that include younger women and those who are more ethnically and geographically diverse than the lesbian women participating in this study.
Robyn Lipner, who is executive director for the Jacob's Institute of Women's Health, which published the research, says such studies are well worth doing to learn more about specific health risks among lesbian women. The Jacobson Institute is a nonprofit group devoted to better understanding women's health.
"This is a population at risk," Lipner wrote in a statement to WebMD. "We won't be able to improve the health of lesbian women without greater attention to this population. We must continue research on the risks lesbians face when it comes to the No. 1 killer of women."
The new study did not address the reasons why middle-aged lesbians might have different weight distributions than their heterosexual counterparts or why they might be heavier in general. But Roberts suggests that genetic, biological, and even cultural and behavioral differences might come into play.
"There is a history of body acceptance within the lesbian culture," she says. "Lesbian women may be less inclined to buy into mainstream feminine values that require constant dieting."
She adds that while there are many positive aspects to having a more accepting mindset regarding body image, ignoring the health consequences of excess weight is risky.
"Since heterosexual women and lesbians differ in attitudes toward weight, a general educational message targeting women may not be perceived as relevant by some lesbians," Roberts and colleagues wrote in the concluding paragraph of their study. "A lesbian-specific interventional strategy may be needed."
In a newly-published study comparing a group of middle-aged lesbian women with their heterosexual sisters, the lesbian women tended to be heavier (with higher BMIs -- a measure of height to weight). They also carry weight around their waistlines rather than in the hips and thighs -- a fat distribution pattern seen in people with an increased risk for heart disease.
The weight distribution body type often referred to as "apple shape", in which the bulk of excess fat is primarily distributed around the abdomen, has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, as well as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
"It is impossible to say from this one study, but it looks like this pattern of fat distribution may be more common among lesbian women," researcher Stephanie A. Roberts, MD, tells WebMD.
"It has been known for several years that [compared with other women] lesbians tend to have a higher body mass index, but the new finding is that this additional weight appears to be fat and not muscle," she says.
Roberts, a doctor specializing in bariatric medicine, and colleagues from the School of Nursing at the University of California, San Francisco, surveyed 324 Lesbian women in California and a heterosexual, female sibling who was closest in age.
While average weights were higher than ideal in both groups, the lesbian women were slightly heavier (average BMI = 26.5, compared with 25.4 for the heterosexual sisters). But waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratios were significantly greater among the lesbian women. Although the average waistlines for the lesbian women were not above the cut off values associated with having an increased risk of heart disease, they were higher than their heterosexual sisters. This may put them at more of a risk for heart disease, the study shows. The average waist size among the lesbians was 34.2 inches versus 32.4 inches for their sisters.
The research is published in the September issue of the journal Women's Health Issues.
Roberts says the findings must be confirmed in larger trials that include younger women and those who are more ethnically and geographically diverse than the lesbian women participating in this study.
Robyn Lipner, who is executive director for the Jacob's Institute of Women's Health, which published the research, says such studies are well worth doing to learn more about specific health risks among lesbian women. The Jacobson Institute is a nonprofit group devoted to better understanding women's health.
"This is a population at risk," Lipner wrote in a statement to WebMD. "We won't be able to improve the health of lesbian women without greater attention to this population. We must continue research on the risks lesbians face when it comes to the No. 1 killer of women."
The new study did not address the reasons why middle-aged lesbians might have different weight distributions than their heterosexual counterparts or why they might be heavier in general. But Roberts suggests that genetic, biological, and even cultural and behavioral differences might come into play.
"There is a history of body acceptance within the lesbian culture," she says. "Lesbian women may be less inclined to buy into mainstream feminine values that require constant dieting."
She adds that while there are many positive aspects to having a more accepting mindset regarding body image, ignoring the health consequences of excess weight is risky.
"Since heterosexual women and lesbians differ in attitudes toward weight, a general educational message targeting women may not be perceived as relevant by some lesbians," Roberts and colleagues wrote in the concluding paragraph of their study. "A lesbian-specific interventional strategy may be needed."
