Gay and bisexual men have different levels of body satisfaction, study finds

New research suggests bisexual men experience body dissatisfaction differently from gay men.

Bi men are reportedly less motivated to be lean and show a lower dissatisfaction rate with their muscularity, while gay men show a higher drive, according to psychologists at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), in the UK.

After interviewing more than 370 gay, bisexual and straight cisgender white men as part of a study on body satisfaction, the study showed that men who identify as bi are more likely to have the same sort of opinions about body satisfaction as straight men.

However, results for other concerns, including height, penis size and capability, remained consistent among all sexual orientations.

The study, “Tackling bisexual erasure: An explorative comparison of bisexual, gay and straight cisgender men’s body image” was published in an effort to tackle the “homogenous” way that gay and bi men are grouped in research.

Dr Liam Cahill, the project’s lead researcher and a lecturer in LGBTQ+ psychology at NTU, said the traditional act of grouping bisexual and gay men is outdated.

“Traditionally, bisexual men have been grouped in the same category as gay men when it comes to body image research,” he said. “Our findings show they are unique in how they experience differences in their body image.”

While society generally has a preference for men to be “muscular or lean with low body fat,” bisexual men’s dissatisfaction with their physique is only compounded when integrating with the gay community, he added.

However, the study’s results still suggest that, while bisexual and straight men are less dissatisfied with their muscularity, societal pressures still influence all men – regardless of sexuality.

“When it comes to increased pressure and dissatisfaction related to muscularity, previous studies have found that gay men’s stronger preference for muscular partners may contribute to their higher levels,” Cahill said. “This is a pressure that bisexual men may only experience when they are integrated with the gay community, hence their dissatisfaction is lower.”

This means that bi, straight and gay men all experience the same motivation to gain muscle and lose body fat, but gay men are typically more dissatisfied with the results.

“The experiences of bisexual men are often overlooked in research,” the study concluded. “Bisexual people experience greater stigma, marginalisation and prejudice than other sexual [minority] identities.

“As of the most recent review of this issue, only a small number of studies have explored bisexual and gay men’s body image differences.

“Our findings contradict the view that bisexual and gay men experience similar body-image concerns concerning their drive for leanness and muscularity dissatisfaction.”

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