NIH Awards $1.5 Million To Find Out Why Many Lesbians Are Obese

It's like they're baiting Congress

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $1.5 million to study biological and social factors for why "three-quarters" of lesbians are obese and why gay males are not, calling it an issue of "high public-health significance."

Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass., has received two grants administered by NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to study the relationship between sexual orientation and obesity.

"Obesity is one of the most critical public health issues affecting the U.S. today," the description of the grant reads. "Racial and socioeconomic disparities in the determinants, distribution, and consequences of obesity are receiving increasing attention."

Comments

[Kevin47]

Here's the problem with this study, aside from the "are you kidding me?" factor.

Say the study determines, for example, that the reason is that lesbians have more masculine biological characteristics, and therefore worry less about personal appearance, while gay men have more feminine biological characteristics. There is no way the researchers will accept this result.

In fact, this outcome is probably a priori off the table. In fact, I'd hazard to guess any reason that plays into cultural stereotypes is going to be off the table. Also, any reason that insinuates a correlation between child abuse and same sex attraction is going to be dismissed.

The only acceptable reason will be that lesbians have not been socially ostracized, having not achieved the same level of acceptance as their male counterparts. As such, let's just report that and save $1.5 million.

[phandaal]

In general, heterosexual men look like men, gay men look like men, and gay women look like men. The only group that typically looks "female" are heterosexual women.

If I had to guess, I'd say it's a cultural thing. Lesbians end up looking like chubby men with short hair because that's "the style."

Now, give ME the $1.5 million!

[Bill]

That's not quite true. Only some lesbians are really all that masculine. They may look that way due to how they dress, etc. but you would not mistake them for men, especially if they made themselves up to dress more feminine, wear make-up etc.

But a good percentage are heavy.

[BuSab Agent]

Wow! Really. Let me femsplain this to everyone. Men are initially attracted by looks, women by personality. So when men are attracted to men, they are looking for good looking men.If you're a gay man that wants to get laid you don't let yourself go to pot. It's also why women who don't want their to stray better not either. Women don't care if their partners are good looking. It's a bonus but not one of the basic criteria and it's a good thing too 'cause most men are kinda on the meh side of looks. Now can I have my 1.5 million?