LGBT+ Affirming Nutrition Care in Paris: A Safe Space for Your Food and Body Concerns
Introduction: You Belong Here
Are you a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, or questioning person struggling with your relationship to food and your body? You're far from alone. Research consistently shows that LGBT+ individuals face unique challenges with body image and eating behaviors, with eating disorder prevalence rates 2 to 4 times higher than in the general population.
This reality isn't random, nor is it a reflection of any personal weakness. It stems directly from social pressures, discrimination, chronic minority stress, and sometimes gender dysphoria that you may experience daily. These difficulties don't indicate a lack of strength or willpower on your part.
This is precisely why I'm committed to offering you a genuinely safe, affirming, and compassionate space in my consultations. As a dietitian-nutritionist and member of the feminist and queer-friendly association Lion.nes (located at 11 rue Saint-Blaise, Paris 20th), I'm dedicated to supporting you with complete respect for your identity, your journey, and your specific needs.
If you're an English-speaking expatriate or international student navigating the French healthcare system while also dealing with food and body concerns, this added layer of complexity is real and valid. Finding LGBT+ affirming care in a foreign country, potentially in a language that isn't your first, creates additional barriers that shouldn't exist—but do. This article is here to help you understand that compassionate, culturally competent care is available in Paris.
Understanding the Specific Challenges: When Identity Meets Your Plate
The Numbers That Validate Your Experience
Recent scientific data leaves no room for doubt: LGBT+ individuals are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders. According to the most recent studies:
9% of LGBT+ youth have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, with an additional 29% suspecting they have one
10.5% of trans men and 8.1% of trans women report a diagnosed eating disorder in their lifetime
Non-binary individuals assigned female at birth show the highest rates of eating disorders among all groups
Black and multiracial LGBT+ youth suspect having an eating disorder at rates 4 times higher than their diagnosis rates, suggesting severe inequities in accessing care
These figures aren't meant to alarm you—they're meant to validate you. They confirm that what you're experiencing is real, documented, and that appropriate support exists.
Minority Stress: An Invisible but Very Real Burden
The minority stress model explains why LGBT+ individuals are at higher risk of developing psychological difficulties, including eating disorders. This stress stems from:
Direct experiences of discrimination: intrusive stares on the metro, inappropriate comments from family, verbal or physical violence, systematic misgendering for trans and non-binary people.
Anticipated rejection anxiety: the constant worry about not being accepted, having to hide or modify fundamental aspects of your identity in certain professional or family contexts.
Internalized stigma: unconsciously absorbing homophobic, biphobic, or transphobic messages that can generate shame or self-rejection.
Invisibility and isolation: lack of positive role models, difficulty finding genuinely inclusive spaces, loneliness in facing experiences that those around you may not understand.
These chronic stressors can lead to using food and body control as coping mechanisms for difficult emotions or as an attempt to regain a sense of control in an environment perceived as hostile or invalidating.
The Expatriate Factor: Navigating Multiple Identities Across Borders
For English-speaking LGBT+ expatriates in Paris, the challenges multiply:
Cultural displacement and food anxiety:
Unfamiliarity with French food culture and social eating norms
Difficulty communicating dietary needs or restrictions in French
Loss of familiar comfort foods that previously helped with emotional regulation
Pressure to adapt to French body ideals that may differ from your home country
Healthcare system navigation:
Confusion about how to access mental health and nutrition care in France
Fear of discrimination compounded by language barriers
Lack of knowledge about LGBT+ affirming providers in Paris
Insurance complications and cost concerns
Isolation and minority stress amplification:
Distance from your support network back home
Difficulty finding LGBT+ community in a new country
Feeling like a double or triple minority (LGBT+ + foreigner + possibly racial minority)
Imposter syndrome about deserving support services
Identity negotiation:
Navigating different cultural attitudes toward LGBT+ identities between your home country and France
Potential conflict between your cultural background and French LGBT+ culture
Feeling pressure to "represent" both your LGBT+ identity and your nationality
This intersection of identities creates what researchers call "intersectional invisibility"—your specific experiences may not be fully recognized by either expat services OR LGBT+ services, leaving you feeling like you don't quite fit anywhere. You do fit here.
Gender Dysphoria and Body Relationship
For trans and non-binary individuals, gender dysphoria adds a particularly complex layer to the relationship with your body and food. Dysphoria can manifest as:
Deep discomfort with certain body characteristics that don't align with your gender identity
Using eating behaviors to attempt to modify your physical appearance (restriction to suppress certain features, overeating to develop others)
Avoiding social situations involving food out of fear of being observed or misgendered
Confusion between hunger/satiety signals and distress signals related to dysphoria
It's important to emphasize that gender-affirming care (hormone therapy, surgeries) has demonstrated significant capacity to improve body satisfaction and, by extension, reduce certain problematic eating behaviors. Nutritional support can be particularly valuable during this transition.
Community-Specific Pressures
Each subgroup of the LGBT+ community may face particular body pressures:
Gay and bisexual men: community culture that can strongly valorize muscularity, thinness, and strict aesthetic standards. The concept of "bigorexia" (muscle dysmorphia) is particularly documented in this population.
Lesbian and bisexual women: contradictory pressures between potentially rejecting heteronormative beauty standards and aesthetic expectations within certain lesbian circles. Bisexual women may face double stigmatization (bifemmephobia).
Trans individuals: pressure to "pass" to be recognized in your gender, which can lead to eating behaviors aimed at modifying silhouette or body composition in extreme ways.
Non-binary individuals: the quest for an androgynous appearance that doesn't always correspond to natural morphologies, with few models or positive representations.
LGBT+ people of color: the intersection of racism and LGBTphobia creating complex and contradictory aesthetic pressures, with even less access to culturally competent care.
Deconstructing the Obstacles: Why Accessing Care is Complicated
Lack of Trained and Affirming Professionals
One of the main obstacles LGBT+ individuals encounter when seeking nutritional support is the dramatic lack of trained professionals in LGBT+ realities. This translates to:
Professionals who ask you to educate them about trans identities instead of training themselves
Approaches that don't account for minority stress and its impacts on eating
Use of binary growth charts (male/female) unsuitable for trans individuals
Awkward comments, misgendering, or intrusive questions about your identity or body
Complete misunderstanding of gender dysphoria and its connection to eating
One study reveals that people who had to educate their healthcare providers about trans identities were 4 times more likely to delay necessary care. You should never have to educate your healthcare professional about your own existence.
Discrimination and Care Avoidance
More than 1 in 5 LGBT+ individuals avoid medical care due to fear of discrimination. This fear is unfortunately not unfounded. Reported experiences include:
Explicit or disguised refusals of care
Moralizing judgments about your identity or orientation
Systematic pathologization (every problem reduced to your LGBT+ identity)
Lack of confidentiality regarding your sexual orientation or gender identity
Care environments where you don't feel safe
These experiences create a vicious cycle: you delay consultations, which worsens eating disorders, which reinforces isolation and psychological distress.
Systemic Barriers
Beyond individual interactions, structural barriers complicate access to care:
Absence of LGBT+ resource centers in many regions
Discriminatory laws in some countries (bans on gender-affirming care, lack of legal recognition)
Inadequate insurance coverage for trans-related care
Lack of scientific research on eating disorders in LGBT+ populations, therefore fewer adapted care protocols
Increased economic precarity in the LGBT+ community (employment discrimination, higher homelessness rates)
For expatriates specifically:
Navigating the French healthcare system (Carte Vitale, mutuelle, etc.) without LGBT+-specific guidance
Few bilingual LGBT+ affirming providers
Cultural differences in how LGBT+ identities are discussed and supported
Isolation from familiar support networks back home
Taking Action: Genuinely Affirming Nutritional Support
What "Safe Space" Concretely Means
When I talk about a safe space, it's not just a marketing label. It's a concrete commitment that translates to:
Unconditional respect for your identity:
Systematic use of your pronouns and chosen name
No intrusive questions about your body, medical history, or intimate life that aren't directly relevant to nutritional support
Zero tolerance for misgendering, inappropriate remarks, or judgments
Ongoing training in LGBT+ realities:
Knowledge of eating disorder specificities in LGBT+ populations
Understanding of minority stress and gender dysphoria
Familiarity with transition pathways and their nutritional implications
Sensitivity to intersections (race, class, disability, etc.)
Absolute confidentiality:
Your sexual orientation and gender identity will never be disclosed without your explicit consent
Option to use a different name than on your Carte Vitale if necessary
Consultation environment where you don't have to fear being outed
Non-pathologizing approach:
Your LGBT+ identity is never considered the "cause" of your eating difficulties
External stressors (discrimination, transphobia) are recognized as legitimate contributing factors
Work on coping mechanisms rather than on identity itself
English-language support:
Full consultations available in English for non-French speakers
Understanding of cultural differences between your home country's LGBT+ culture and French LGBT+ culture
Support navigating the French healthcare system in your language
Familiar with international insurance and repatriation concerns
My Commitment as a Lion.nes Member
My membership in the Lion.nes association (11 rue Saint-Blaise, Paris 20th) isn't incidental. Lion.nes is a feminist and queer-friendly collective that promotes:
Social justice and the fight against all forms of oppression
Intersectionality: recognition that discriminations intersect and amplify each other
Self-determination: your expertise about your own body and needs is recognized
Community solidarity: connection with other affirming LGBT+ professionals and associations
This political and ethical positioning directly reflects in my clinical practice. It means I don't work "despite" your LGBT+ identity, but with it, recognizing that it's an integral part of who you are.
A Non-Restrictive, Gender-Affirming Nutritional Approach
My nutritional support rests on several fundamental pillars:
1. Health At Every Size (HAES) Approach:
No imposed weight loss goals
Respect for body diversity, including trans and non-binary bodies
Focus on well-being and functional health rather than weight
2. Gender-Affirming Nutrition:
Understanding that some trans people may wish to modify their body composition as part of their transition
Nutritional support during hormone therapy (managing appetite, modified energy needs)
Adapted post-surgical support if relevant
Clear distinction between gender affirmation goals and eating disorder behaviors
3. Work on Internal Signals:
Reconnection with hunger and satiety sensations, often blurred by chronic stress
Distinguishing between emotional distress, dysphoria, and real physiological needs
Developing emotional regulation tools that don't solely involve food
4. Deconstruction of Toxic Norms:
Critical analysis of cis-heteronormative beauty standards
Exploration of what stems from your authentic desire vs. community or social pressures
Valuing function over aesthetics (what your body allows you to do, rather than what it looks like)
5. Multidimensional Approach:
Accounting for the biological axis (nutritional needs, hormonal impacts)
Exploring the psychological axis (trauma, self-esteem, emotional regulation)
Recognizing the social axis (discrimination, isolation, lack of support)
Openness to the existential axis (meaning, identity, relationship with life)
Collaboration with an Affirming Network
I don't work alone. Optimal support for LGBT+ individuals with eating disorders often requires a multidisciplinary team:
LGBT+-trained psychiatrists and psychologists:
For in-depth work on trauma, dysphoria, comorbid anxiety or depressive disorders
Resources: Psys Situé·es Network (For Queer and Feminist Care), CeSaMe Paris (LGBT+ community psychological support)
Endocrinologists specialized in trans pathways:
For hormonal monitoring and its nutritional impacts
Coordination to optimize metabolic health during transition
LGBT+ community associations:
📚 Centre LGBTQI+ de Paris et d'Île-de-France (English speaking staff available): resources, health services, orientation
📚 Acceptess-T: support for the most precarious trans individuals
📚 OUTrans: information and support for trans people
📚 Vers Paris Sans Sida pocket guides: LGBT+ mental health self-orientation
Specialized eating disorder resources:
📚 SOS Anor: Eating disorder consultation center (where I also consult)
📚 FFAB: French Federation for Anorexia and Bulimia
📚 Réseau TCA Île-de-France: Regional eating disorder network
Expatriate-specific resources:
📚 WICE (Women in Casual English): English-speaking women's community
📚 Meetup Paris LGBT groups: English-speaking LGBT+ social groups
📚 France Terre d'Asile: For LGBT+ refugees and asylum seekers
📚 Message Personel Radio: English-language mental health hotline
This collaborative approach ensures you don't have to choose between gender-affirming care and eating disorder support. Both can and must coexist harmoniously.
Finding Hope: Recovery is Possible, Even Without "Passing"
Deconstructing the Myth of Body Perfection
An essential message: you don't need to achieve a "perfect" body to deserve to eat well, take care of yourself, and be happy. Whether you're in transition, questioning, or have decided not to pursue medical transition, your worth is intrinsic and unconditional.
The therapeutic work aims to:
Dissociate food and control: eating isn't a means to "earn" your gender or conform to external expectations
Cultivate body kindness: learning to inhabit your body as it is today, even while working toward other goals
Redefine success: your recovery isn't measured by your ability to "pass" but by your subjective well-being
Protective Factors to Cultivate
Research identifies several elements that protect against developing or worsening eating disorders in LGBT+ individuals:
Affirming social support:
Having at least one person in your life who unconditionally accepts your identity
Participating in LGBT+ community spaces where you can be fully yourself
Community connection:
Attending associations, collectives, or LGBT+ support groups
Developing friendships with other LGBT+ people who share similar experiences
Access to affirming care:
Having healthcare professionals who respect your identity and are trained
Being able to access gender-affirming care if you wish
Resilience and self-esteem:
Developing a positive self-image despite negative external messages
Cultivating sources of pride related to your identity (art, activism, creativity)
Positive role models:
Seeing fulfilled LGBT+ people, with diverse bodies, who are living well
Consuming affirming media content (books, podcasts, social media accounts)
Hope Through Stories
Without betraying confidentiality, I can share that I've supported numerous LGBT+ individuals toward a more peaceful relationship with food. The journeys are diverse, but certain patterns emerge:
Trans people who, after beginning their transition, saw their binge eating significantly decrease as dysphoria eased
Gay men who were able to detach from community aesthetic dictates and rediscover the pleasure of eating without anxiety
Non-binary people who created their own definition of body well-being, independent of binary norms
LGBT+ youth who, finally finding an affirming care space, were able to express their food-related suffering for the first time
The common thread? None had to renounce their LGBT+ identity to get better. On the contrary, it's by fully affirming this identity, in a compassionate framework, that recovery became possible.
The Role of Self-Compassion
A powerful therapeutic tool is self-compassion, particularly relevant for LGBT+ individuals who have often internalized messages of shame. It rests on three pillars:
Self-kindness: treating yourself with the same gentleness you'd treat a friend in the same situation
Common humanity: recognizing that suffering and imperfection are part of the shared human experience
Mindfulness: observing your thoughts and emotions without judging or amplifying them
Cultivating self-compassion has demonstrated protective effects against eating disorders and improves body satisfaction, including in LGBT+ individuals.
Conclusion: You Are Welcome Exactly As You Are
If you've read this far, perhaps it's because part of you yearns for support where you wouldn't have to hide, minimize, or explain fundamental aspects of who you are. This space exists. It's waiting for you.
Your difficulties with food and your body aren't a fate you must accept. They're understandable consequences of living in a society that hasn't always made room for you, that has sometimes denied your existence or pathologized your identity. This isn't your fault. And you deserve support that recognizes this reality.
In my consultations, you will never be:
Misgendered or deadnamed
Judged for your identity, gender expression, or orientation
Reduced to stereotypes about LGBT+ people
Pathologized for who you are
You will be:
Listened to with attention and respect
Supported in your goals, whether they concern gender affirmation, eating disorder recovery, or simply a better relationship with food
Considered the expert of your own experience
Accompanied with a non-restrictive, compassionate, and scientifically grounded approach
My practice at Lion.nes (11 rue Saint-Blaise, Paris 20th, every Monday), as well as my two other consultation locations (59 rue de Seine, Paris 6th, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and in Le Raincy in Seine-Saint-Denis), are spaces where your emotional safety is a priority. Video consultations are also available for those more comfortable in this format—particularly helpful for expatriates or those with mobility concerns.
Living and eating are two sides of the same coin. You deserve to live fully, in a body you inhabit with less suffering, nourished by food that supports your well-being rather than undermining it. This path is possible, and you don't have to walk it alone.
📞 Book an Appointment
Alexis Alliel
Dietitian-Nutritionist Specialized in Eating Disorders
Member of Lion.nes association
📍 Paris 20th (Lion.nes): 11 rue Saint-Blaise - Mondays
📍 Paris 6th: 59 rue de Seine - Tuesdays & Wednesdays
📍 Le Raincy (93): By appointment
💻 Video consultations: Available (convenient for expats)
📱 Phone: +33 6 22 41 55 21
🗓️ Doctolib: Book online
🌐 Website: www.alexis-alliel-dn.fr
✉️ Email: [contact email if you have one]
RPPS: 10007258733
ADELI Number: 75 95 0878 1
📚 Additional LGBT+ Resources in Paris
Community psychological support:
📚 CeSaMe Paris/Île-de-France: LGBT+ psychological support (up to 10 consultations)
📚 Psys Situé·es: Network of LGBT+-trained psychologists
Community associations:
📚 Centre LGBTQI+ de Paris: Welcome, orientation, events (English speakers welcome)
📚 Acceptess-T: Support for precarious trans individuals
📚 OUTrans: Information and support for trans identities
📚 Lion.nes Association: Feminist and queer-friendly collective
Eating disorder resources:
📚 SOS Anor: Specialized eating disorder consultation center
📚 FFAB: French Federation for Anorexia and Bulimia
📚 Anorexie-et-boulimie.fr: Île-de-France eating disorder network
📚 GROS: Reflection Group on Obesity and Overweight (HAES approach)
Directories of LGBT+-affirming and/or eating disorder specialized providers:
📚 Mon Pro TCA: National directory of eating disorder specialists (French-language site)
📚 FFAB Directory: Eating disorder therapists by region (French)
📚 Anorexia-Bulimia Directory: ED therapists in France (French)
📚 GROS Practitioners: HAES and non-diet approach trained professionals (French)
📚 Gay-Friendly Doctor Directory: LGBT+-affirming healthcare providers (French, but searchable by city)
📚 Gyn&Co: Feminist and LGBTQIA+-safe healthcare providers (French)
📚 GRAS Politique: Providers committed against systemic oppression (French)
Note for expatriates: While most French directories are not in English, you can use these to identify providers in Paris, then contact them to confirm English-language services. I'm also listed in several of these directories and provide full consultations in English.
Self-orientation guides:
📚 LGBT+ Mental Health Guides: Vers Paris Sans Sida
Hotlines:
📚 Ligne Azur: 0 810 20 30 40 (anonymous, free, some English support)
📚 SOS Homophobie: 01 48 06 42 41
📚 Nightline Paris: For students, by students
Related articles on this site:
📚 SOURCES BOX
Scientific and Institutional Sources
Kamody, R. C., Grilo, C. M., & Udo, T. (2020). Disparities in DSM-5 defined eating disorders by sexual orientation among U.S. adults. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53, 278-287. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23193
Diemer, E. W., Grant, J. D., Munn-Chernoff, M. A., Patterson, D. A., & Duncan, A. E. (2015). Gender identity, sexual orientation, and eating-related pathology in a national sample of college students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 57(2), 144-149.
The Trevor Project. (2022). Eating Disorders among LGBTQ Youth. Research Brief. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/eating-disorders-among-lgbtq-youth-feb-2022/
McClain, Z., & Peebles, R. (2016). Body image and eating disorders among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 63(6), 1079-1090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2016.07.008
Parker, L. L., & Harriger, J. A. (2020). Eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors in the LGBT population: A review of the literature. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8, 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00327-y
Cusack, C. E., Iampieri, A. O., & Galupo, M. P. (2022). "I'm still not sure if the eating disorder is a result of gender dysphoria": Trans and nonbinary individuals' descriptions of their eating and body concerns in relation to their gender. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 9(4), 422-433.
Jones, B. A., Haycraft, E., Murjan, S., & Arcelus, J. (2016). Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in trans people: A systematic review of the literature. International Review of Psychiatry, 28(1), 81-94.
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). (2025). Eating Disorders in LGBTQIA+ Populations. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/eating-disorders-in-lgbtqia-populations/
Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674-697. [Minority stress model]
Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS). (2019). Anorexie mentale : prise en charge. Evidence-based recommendations.
Centre LGBTQI+ de Paris et d'Île-de-France. Mental and physical health resources. https://www.centrelgbtparis.org/ressources/sante
Vers Paris Sans Sida. (2024). LGBT+ mental health pocket guides. https://www.sante-mentale-lgbtqi.parissanssida.fr/
Vivre et manger sont les deux faces de la même pièce
Lighten your relationship with food and free yourself from what hinders you!
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RPPS : 10007258733
N° ADELI : 75 95 0878 1