Manly Meat and Gendered Eating

Eating is a gendered act. In Western cultural mythology, men have rapacious appetites that cannot be easily satisfied; they require ‘substantial’ foods (like meat and potatoes) to keep up their strength and satisfy their hunger.¹ Hearty consumption demonstrates a man’s virility and reinforces his masculinity. Women, on the other hand, have appetites that can easily be satisfied with low-calorie, low-fat foods (like fruits, vegetables, and diet drinks); according to popular cultural myths, they live in constant danger of weight gain and loss of attractiveness if they indulge these minimal appetites. Furthermore, while men are encouraged to indulge and take pride in their appetites—whether it be for food, sex, or power—women are taught to tightly repress their hunger, focusing instead on satisfying the appetites of others.²