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Does your gender determine your food choices?

It's true that men and women approach food very differently - but basic biology may not be all that's polarising the sexes in this debate

Over the last many years, I've lost count of the number of homemakers I've heard gripe about how food is the one non-negotiable in their men's lives: how it's constantly on their minds, how it must be ready to serve by the time internal timepieces strike 'hungry o'clock', and how otherwise delightful spouses become horribly irritable if it's not. This hearts-in-eyes attitude about food is one I've observed among friends too: the guys are always happy to eat. When they're not eating, they're talking about eating. And when they're not talking about it, you can bet your best cut of meat that they're thinking about it.

Personally, because I only eat to live (you won't find any 'food is life' slogans hanging on my bedroom walls), beyond a point, these gastronomic conversations - and the voracious appetites that inspire them - always boggle my mind. No, don't get up in arms about sexism: I'm well aware there are plenty of female foodies out there. It's just that they always seem to be vastly outnumbered by their male counterparts. And that's what got us wondering: are we serving up social stereotypes here or is there some truth to these 'gender inequalities'?

It's not all biology

Nadia Bornman, a dietitian at Beyond Nutrition in JLT, tells us there are a few reasons why men and women have different dietary needs. From a physiological perspective, for instance, men usually weigh more and have more muscle mass than women. Basic biology, therefore, demands that they consume more - an observation that F&B outlets are all too familiar with.

Shabnum Stumpf, co-founder of BB Social Dining, notes that they see a lot of eating behaviours play out at their DIFC restaurant - including how certain dishes on the menu, preferred more by men than women, are not necessarily healthier, but are favoured for being more substantial. "Men will definitely order favourites like the Wagyu Steak and Beef Brisket Bao, while women tend to order lighter plates like the Super Green Hummus and Chicken Skewers. We also see that men tend to order for themselves, while women order for the table."

As BB's executive chef with 20 years of experience in the industry, Shabnum's husband Alexander Stumpf also testifies to how different his menus might look were he to design them specifically for men or women. "The menu would be quite different because my considerations for women would include variety (women like to have more choices) as well as low-carb options (as they can be a bit more health-conscious). For men, I would look at more substantial dishes, as they are usually looking for a 'main meal'. So, it would be more of single plate meals and less side dishes for them."

However, Nadia is quick to point out that not everything is down to physiological makeups alone: the genders often differ in the kind of food they "prefer" to consume too. "From my experience, men are more likely to opt for heavier and higher calorie foods and drinks compared to women, and are also often more likely to eat meat-based dishes," she says. "Women, on the other hand, are more likely to look through the health section of a store or restaurant compared to men and often also choose lighter meal options such as salads or vegetable-based dishes." The Dubai-based dietitian finds that women may also be "much more restrictive with their food intake and really limit their portions, even when they are not yet satiated".

Evidently, the case for these contrasts is not purely driven by needs - and there are numbers to indicate as much. The most recent of these studies, studying 2,000 Canadian men and published in June this year, noted that more than 62 per cent of the all-male survey group "preferred eating junk".

While there are no local stats to speak for the region, this trend of women being more inclined to healthy or minimal eating than men is one that many health observers will attest to. "Perhaps it's because the pressure on women to look a certain way has always been far more endemic (thus making them more prone to watching what they eat), but while many more men are open to the idea of jumping on the healthy bandwagon today, stats-wise, their numbers are still far behind those of their fairer counterparts," says one, who runs a group for vegans in the country and requested anonymity.

DISHING OUT INSIGHTS: (from left to right) Nadia Bornman from Beyond Nutrition; Shabnum Stumpf and Alexander Stumpf of BB Social Dining; former creative director Samson Dsouza

Blame it on culture

The reasons for the lag could be attributed to many factors - but perhaps the key factor that cannot be ignored is the role of gender stereotyping that's ever-present across advertising and media today. Marketers have long been milking these clichés for all they're worth in order to push their products, which is why you'll probably never see a commercial featuring a woman manning the grill or a man in ads for supposedly 'feminine' foods like salads, tofu and quiches.

On the other hand, it will always be a female model sensuously biting into a piece of chocolate, while burger chains constantly exploit the 'real men eat meat' tagline. Who can forget KFC's Double Down sandwich, introduced a few years ago as 'the world's manliest' sandwich'? Clearly targeting male customers, the ad's copy claimed to have "no weak ingredients" and urged folks to "eat like a man". Weighing in, former creative director Samson Dsouza reckons the brand was attempting to "target the person with a more voracious appetite with such messaging - but likely alienated a female target audience who might have liked to try something new and different" in the process.

Studies suggest this association between meat and masculinity goes back to hunter-gatherer times, when the men brought home the meat (literally). It was the 'manly' thing to do. But today, many men still look down on a meatless diet as effeminate, and vegan guys will often tell of getting ribbed by their friends for not eating "man food".

Luke Zhu's 2015 paper titled 'Macho Nachos' suggests those claims are not tall tales - and that there is empirical backing too. The study asked participants to segregate certain foods according to gender - baked versus fried chicken, light potato chips versus regular etc. The results showed that respondents consistently saw the healthier options as more suitable to women. When the study's authors tried to sway opinions using feminine and masculine packaging, they were met with resistance and what they termed "expectation violation". Healthy eating tends to be associated with femininity, Zhu later explained in an interview. So, healthy food packaged in masculine packaging gets interpreted as a mixed signal, which doesn't sit well with consumers.

You don't have to look beyond American sitcom Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson for examples of stereotypes being reinforced on screen. The mustachioed libertarian takes great pride in his masculine personality and ability to wolf down plates of meat, while eschewing salads as "rabbit food". In truth, the notion that men are "designed" to devour chunkfuls of meat doesn't hold much water when you consider vegan bodybuilders like YouTuber Jon Venus, who are about as buff as they come - yet subsist on a wholly animal-free diet.

Ron's classic one-liners make for good ol' television humour, no doubt - but, if we're being honest, we have to acknowledge that they also serve to feed into the notions of engendered eating that we don't realise actually have some very deep-seated roots in cultural influences.

In the end, it's not so much about giving up meat, as it is about having a healthy relationship with food. Nadia says, "It is always important to balance out all the food groups that men (and women) eat... That includes reaching targets of protein, carbohydrates and fats, besides fruits and vegetables, too."

To those men who would turn up their noses at incorporating greens into their diet, Nadia speaks of the many males the clinic has worked with, who've seen "much improvement in overall health, energy and weight" after they decided to put their health and nutrition first. It's a lifestyle choice she assures "can definitely be done".

What a healthy meal plan for men and women could look like

FOR MEN

> Breakfast - A bowl of cooked oats porridge, low fat (or plant-based) milk, walnuts and a piece of fruit

> Lunch - Baked salmon with sweet potato and green salad

> Dinner - One pan baked chicken drumstick (skinless) with mixed vegetables (e.g. zucchini, carrots) and served with brown rice

FOR WOMEN

> Breakfast - A bowl of cooked oats porridge with crushed walnuts, low fat

(or plant-based) milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon

> Lunch - Whole wheat wrap filled with tuna, avocado, chopped cherry tomatoes and baby spinach

> Dinner - Tofu stir-fry with mixed strips of green beans, cabbage and carrots

- Courtesy: Nadia Bornman, Beyond Nutrition

karen@khaleejtimes.com