Hooters Girls say working at ‘breastaurants’ can cause eating disorders and mental health problems

A recent study found that people who work in a sexually objectifying restaurant environments or “breastaurants”  like Hooters are more likely to suffer from disordered eating and anxiety.

We talked to three former Hooters workers about their experiences and the effects of working in an environment built around the objectification of women.

The women we interviewed said they were not surprised by the results of the study.

Chloe, 21, did calendar shoots and pageants for Hooters. According to Chloe, who weighed just 100 pounds at the time of her Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant, the official Hooters stance encourages their employees to eat and claim to not allow contestants to compete in pageants unless they consume at least two meals a day — but this “rule” was routinely ignored in pursuit of the unspoken competition between waitresses and contestants.

“Everyone wants to be the skinniest, most tan and hottest, and not eating is easier than working out,” Chloe said.

Kelsea, 23, reiterated Chloe’s sentiments and said she that she believes working at Hooters kickstarted her disordered eating habits. The famously skimpy outfits put every flaw — perceived or otherwise — on display, Kelsea said. “It made me want to change my appearance,” she said. “I felt competitive with the way other girls looked.”

Theresa, 21, also felt compelled to try and fit a specific physical stereotype working with a score of other women who were also judged on appearances.

Preparing for her own Hooters bikini pageant sent her into a compulsive diet and exercise spiral that eventually developed into what Theresa called a full-blown eating disorder. Right before the competition, she was working out twice a day every day and eating nothing but broccoli and tuna.

After losing the pageant, Theresa’s disordered eating continued. “I was literally counting every single calorie I put into my body so I would have a chance to win the next year,”she said.

Theresa did say that one positive of working at Hooter’s was learning how to be more outspoken and stepping out of her comfort zone. She also says the company offers tuition reimbursement for students, and she is still really close with her fellow co-workers.

Chloe warns that although the people are great, sometimes the customers are not — and this can be scary and damaging to the girls who are working.

“One time this older guy was sitting at a booth with a boner and asked me to sit on his lap,” Chloe said. “I’ve also been asked how much it would cost for me to let someone cum on me.”

The moral of the story is working at Hooter’s isn’t all smiles and chicken wings, and Chloe says her life drastically improved after she quit.

“After leaving I became a lot happier with my self-image,” Chloe said.

@TheTab