SUPERMARKETGURU FOOD &
HEALTH WEEKLY NEWSFLASH!
Men vs. Women
Published on: December 15, 2006
Why men and women eat differently is the subject of new study detailed in the December issue of the journal Communication Research.
Three hundred and seventy-three university students of average height and weight were surveyed about their own perceptions of their body. Then they were shown some photos of "ideal body images" of the same gender. Women saw photos from Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Vogue, Elle and Shape while men saw photos from Men's Health, Men's Fitness and Muscle & Fitness. Two groups of students were evaluated – the first were told that they were evaluating the layout of the magazines while the second control subjects were not shown any magazine images. Immediately following they were allowed to snack on pretzels.
Independent of body mass and the amount consumed by the peers around them, exposure to ideal body image resulted in decreased eating among women with lower body image and increased eating among men with lower body image. How much less and how much more? The insecure men ate three more pretzels, while the insecure women ate one less pretzel.
