| "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lesbians are twice as likely as heterosexual women to be overweight or obese, which puts them at greater risk for obesity-related health problems and death, U.S. researchers said. " "The report, published in the American Journal of Public Health, is one of the first large studies to look at obesity among lesbians. " "Ulrike Boehmer of the Boston University School of Public Health and colleagues looked at a 2002 national survey of almost 6,000 women, and found that lesbians were 2.69 times more likely to be overweight and 2.47 times more likely to be obese. " ""Lesbians have more than twice the odds of (being) overweight," the authors wrote. This would put them at a higher risk for diabetes and heart disease, among other ailments. " ""Our findings indicate that lesbian sexual identity is linked to a greater prevalence of overweight and obesity," the authors wrote in the study, released this week. " "They reviewed smaller studies that have suggested a higher prevalence of obesity among lesbians and the possible reasons why. " ""The results of these studies indicate that lesbian women have a better body image than do heterosexual women," they wrote. " "But the authors said they placed little confidence ... read the whole article |