Episode 57 - Disordered Eating in the LGBTQ Population
**content warning - eating disorders and eating disorder symptoms/practices, self-harm (including cutting), suicide, suicide-ideation, negative body image**
Episode hosts Allison and Darice are joined by Carey Baldwin (RDN, CIEC), who shares her personal eating disorder recovery story and how it led her to specialize in outpatient eating disorder care in Denver, serving many LGBTQ clients.
The conversation explains that eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening mental illnesses with a high mortality rate, outlines common diagnoses (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and mixed presentations), and discusses why rates are especially high in LGBTQ populations. Carey cites research indicating up to 54% of LGBTQ youth report a diagnosis or suspected symptoms, nearly 9 in 10 report body dissatisfaction, and gay men—about 5% of the total population—make up roughly 45% of all men diagnosed with eating disorders; she also notes particularly high risk among non-binary and trans male youth due to dysphoria and body dissatisfaction.
The hosts and Carey describe contributing factors such as stigma, discrimination, bullying, internalized shame, lack of family acceptance, and using food control as a coping mechanism, as well as the impact of diet culture and social media. They review signs parents can look for (preoccupation with weight/calories, tracking apps, eliminating food groups like carbs or sugar, overexercising, mood changes, and food avoidance) and emphasize that eating disorders do not always present in underweight bodies, noting only 6% diagnosed are medically underweight. The episode also addresses elevated risks of suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury (including cutting), stating that LGBTQ youth with eating disorder history have attempted suicide rates four to six times higher than those with eating disorders alone, and explaining how malnourishment affects brain function, anxiety, depression, and isolation.
Protective factors highlighted include affirming and supportive adults and family, connection at school and with peers, modeling self-compassion, proactive selection of affirming and trained providers, and seeking specialized eating-disorder treatment (therapist, dietitian, medical checkups and lab work). Carey shares an example of a parent advocating for birth control to suppress periods to reduce distress in a trans male youth, and the hosts discuss avoiding shame, approaching concerns with curiosity, and giving parents grace when symptoms are hidden.
00:00 Reuniting & Introducing Carey Baldwin (Why This Topic Matters)
01:22 Carey’s Story: From Personal ED Recovery to Dietitian Work
03:50 What Eating Disorders Are (and How Serious They Can Be)
04:57 Why EDs Hit LGBTQ Youth Hard: Stats, Body Dissatisfaction & Stress
08:50 Red Flags Parents Can Spot: Diet Culture, Restriction & Over-Exercise
11:44 Diet Culture Everywhere: Trends, Movies, Social Media & Generational Shifts
14:34 COVID Surge, Shame, and the High-Risk Link to Self-Harm/Suicidality
17:17 Starvation Brain: Anxiety, Depression, and Feeling Overwhelmed
17:52 When Restriction Drags On: The Body Under Chronic Stress
18:28 Self-Harm & Eating Disorders: Why Cutting Can Become a Coping Tool
19:27 Stop Calling It ‘Attention Seeking’: What Parents Should Watch For
21:18 Protective Factors: Support, Connection, Self-Compassion, Affirming Care
22:52 How to Intervene: Get Curious, Seek Trained ED Help, Medical Checks
25:34 Affirm Now, Learn as You Go: The Risk of Delaying Support
26:45 Proactive Healthcare Advocacy + A Puberty Distress Case Example
30:29 Parent Guilt & Hidden Struggles: Eating Disorders Don’t Always Look ‘Underweight’
33:29 Final Takeaways: Awareness in LGBTQ Families & Why This Conversation Matters
Carey Baldwin is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist providing nutrition therapy at an outpatient eating disorder clinic in Denver, Colorado. Carey sees a diverse clientele with many who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Carey volunteers with Lift+Love as the Support Group Coordinator and also co-lCarey Baldwin is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist providing nutrition therapy at an outpatient eating disorder clinic in Denver, Colorado. Carey sees a diverse clientele with many who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Carey volunteers with Lift+Love as the Support Group Coordinator and also co-leads an organization in Colorado called Rainbow COnnection. Carey and her husband, Scott, are the parents of 5 adult children. In her free time Carey enjoys time in the mountains, reading, playing tennis and quilting.eads an organization in Colorado called Rainbow COnnection. Carey and her husband, Scott, are the parents of 5 adult children. In her free time Carey enjoys time in the mountains, reading, playing tennis and quilting.
You can contact Carey Baldwin at [email protected]
Find more resources and support for LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints and their family, friends, allies, and leaders at www.liftandlove.org
