Relationships between drive for muscularity, muscularity-oriented eating behaviors, and muscle dysmorphia: A study with cisgender lesbian and bisexual women

Individuals with Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) exhibit a high drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behavior. Sexual minorities are also vulnerable to disturbances in body image and eating behavior; however, research on MD in sexual minority women is scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed to propose and evaluate an exploratory theoretical model of MD in Brazilian cisgender lesbian and bisexual women that includes sociodemographic variables (sexual orientation, skin color, BMI, and age), drive for muscularity, and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors. The study included 1131 participants aged 18-50. Structural equation modeling indicated that drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors were associated with different dimensions of MD symptoms. However, sexual orientation and skin color were not associated with muscularity-related dimensions among lesbians and bisexual women. Younger women were more vulnerable to muscularity-related issues, and BMI had varying associations depending on the construct analyzed. Overall, drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors were interrelated with MD symptoms in cisgender lesbian and bisexual women. The final refined model demonstrated good fit: χ²(1010) = 8287.982, p < .001; χ²/df = 8.24; CFI = .949; TLI = .954; RMSEA = .080 [90% CI = .078 -.081]. These findings emphasize the importance of assessing drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented eating behaviors as targets for screening, prevention, and intervention in health care settings.