Lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning youth are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, be obese and engage in less physical activity and more sedentary activities than heterosexual youth, a new Northwestern Medicine study has found.The study is among the first of its kind to examine how health behaviors linked to minority stress - the day-to-day stress faced by stigmatized and marginalized populations - may contribute to the risk of poor physical health among LGBQ youth.

"Lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning youth may not only be at risk for worse mental health but also worse physical health outcomes compared to heterosexual youth," said lead study author Lauren Beach.This is the  largest study to date to report differences in levels of physical activity, sedentary behavior and obesity by sex and sexual orientation among high-school-aged students. The authors used national data from 350,673 United States high-school students, predominantly ranging between 14 and 18 years old, collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to detect disparities in diabetes risk factors by sexual orientation.

The study was published in the journal Pediatric Diabetes.

          On average, sexual minority and questioning students were less likely to engage in physical activity than heterosexual students. They reported approximately one less day per week of physical activity and were 38 to 53 percent less likely to meet physical activity guidelines than heterosexual students.Lesbian, bisexual and questioning female students were 1.55 to 2.07 times more likely to be obese than heterosexual female students.Teachers, parents and physicians should work together to ensure these youth have the tools they need to stay healthy, Beach said. Family support and identity affirmation - developing positive feelings and a strong attachment to a group - have been consistently linked to better health among LGBQ youth.

In addition to providing an overall supportive environment, parents should consider asking their children, "Have you been physically active today? Are you active in gym class? Can we do something today to be active together?" And parents should be proactive at doctor appointments and ask the doctor to screen for physical activity, screen time, diet and their child's weight, Beach said.

                                    Beach is one of the rare researchers studying this field of physical health among sexual minority and questioning youth. Previous studies have examined diabetes and cardiovascular health among LGBTQ people, but that research has largely focused only on adults."This is the biggest study of its kind but it's just the tip of the iceberg," Beach said. "There's still so much we don't know, such as what is causing these disparities and what can be done about it. It's a completely untapped field of research."