ABSTRACT
Dieting is common in manly sports like boxing, where competitors reduce their calorie intake in order to reach their fighting weight. In contrast, everyday dieting to become ‘fashionably thin’ is typically equated with women. Germov and Williams (1996) refer to this as ‘the sexual division of dieting’, while other feminists describe dieting as ‘the essence of contemporary femininity’ and the antithesis of masculinity (Wolf 1991: 200). While intentional weight-loss through whatever means is not exclusively female territory, and gender differences should not be exaggerated, there is evidence of a sexual division. Crossley (2004: 225) confirms feminist literature with reference to a UK survey: women were almost twice as likely to be ‘trying to be slim’ as men (41.1 per cent compared to 22.6 per cent).
