Gay males are less likely to be characterized by overweight or obesity than are straight males

Are Gay Men More Fit? Obesity and Overweight Differences Among Gay and Straight Men. Sharon Baker-Hughes & Dudley L. Poston Jr.  Chapter in International Handbook of the Demography of Obesity pp 273–285. September 22 2022. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-10936-2_16

Abstract: Despite an expansive literature in the last few decades on the qualities and characteristics of gay and straight men, research exploring the prevalence of obesity and overweight in the gay male population is limited, especially comparing them to the straight male population. In this chapter, we examine the distribution of weight status (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese) in gay men. We also examine the likelihood the likelihood of overweight or obesity in gay males compared to heterosexual males. We find that gay males are less likely to be characterized by overweight or obesity than are straight males. Our empirical findings are consistent with those in the limited literature about the prevalence of obesity and overweight in the gay and straight male populations.