Fridae

A study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found that lesbians are more likely to carry excess weight near the waist, which is one indicator of a metabolic syndrome that can lead to heart trouble. The study was published recently in the journal Women's Health Issues.

Dr Stephanie Roberts and colleagues at the university questioned 324 lesbians and an equal number of heterosexual women living in California about their weight.

They found that on average lesbians had a larger waist and bigger waist to hip ratios compared with the other women. (Various studies have established that men typically have bigger waist to hip ratios whereas women tend to have smaller waist to hip ratios.) Excess fat around the waist has also been linked to an increase risk of heart disease.

"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," Roberts said.

The women surveyed also tend to have a higher body mass index, a measure of body fat based on height and weight. A higher index is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and severe chest pain.

"It has been known for several years that 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 added.

The scientists believe the differences may be linked to the fact that the lesbians they studied were less concerned about weight and image issues compared with heterosexual women. Some lesbians are also thought to actively reject the thin-supermodel-ideal that dominates the mass media.

Previous studies have found that in addition to being less concerned about their weight, lesbians are also less likely to perceive themselves as overweight - even when they are.

In addition, the researchers found lesbian women were more likely to have problems controlling their weight, tending to put on weight, lose it and gain it again quite regularly. This so-called "weight-cycling has been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease," said Roberts.

They said the findings highlighted the need to encourage lesbians to exercise more and lose weight.

Since heterosexual and lesbian women differ in their attitudes toward weight, lesbians might see generalised educational messages as irrelevant.

Dr Roberts said the findings highlighted the need for health education which targeted lesbians specifically.

"Weight control is often perceived as a conventionally feminine behaviour," said Roberts. "A strategy that de-emphasizes traditional feminine values may be the most effective for lesbians."