Do Men Eat Red Meat Because It…Seems More ‘Macho’?
- Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:53pm by
Liz Klimas
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Men associate all things meat with manliness. (Photo: Flickr/Sean Dreilinger)
“Women, do the dishes. Men, eat more meat.” This was a common phrase in my family’s household when it was time to clean up and yet there were still piles of leftovers after a holiday dinner. Men and meat have long been coupled terms. Some men even exaggerate that they would like to renounce their omnivorous design and go straight-up carnivore.
So, researchers set out to test whether men actually preferred red meat or if they more simply held a subconscious “macho” status that compelled them to eat steaks and hamburgers over salads with salmon.
Live Science reports that the researchers wrote, “To the strong, traditional, macho, bicep-flexing, all-American male, red meat is a strong, traditional, macho, bicep-flexing, all-American food.” The study is published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
As part of the research, nearly 4,000 university students were asked to rate 23 foods as masculine or feminine on a scale from 0 to 10. The most masculine foods, Life Science notes, were medium-rare steak, hamburger, well-done steak, beef chili and chicken. The top feminine foods it reports were chocolate, peach, chicken salad, sushi and chicken.
Here’s more from Live Science on the study:
If meat represents masculinity, it would seem men would be more likely than women to prefer meat to other foods — a means of reinforcing gender. To test this idea, the researchers analyzed data of more than 2,000 university students who indicated how much they liked or disliked various foods. Male students were significantly more likely than female students to like beef, meat and orange juice; and the women were significantly more likely than guys to like salad and vegetables.
This “masculine meat” phenomenon seems to hold in other countries as well. In one study of 23 languages with gendered pronouns, the researchers found “that the vast majority of these gendered words and these languages associate meat with the masculine pronoun,” [Brian Wansink] from Cornell University told LiveScience.
With this in mind, ABC News points out the increasing evidence linking red meat consumption to heart disease and other health issues:
One study found that eating a single serving of red meat every day was linked to an increased risk of early death.
Dr. Ulka Agarwal, chief medical officer for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a non-profit group that promotes preventive medicine, animal rights and plant-based diets, said the “meat is macho, veggies are lame” mindset is really an outdated way of thinking about eating.
“The face of plant-based diets is changing as they become more mainstream,” Agarwal said. “It’s not just hippies, but also professional athletes who are following plant-based diets now.”
So how do you get men to eat more vegetables? Wansink said make it look more like meat. This can be as simple as putting grill marks on a veggie burger.
[H/T NeatORama]
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Comments (134)
stogieguy7
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:36pmWow, I read the story only to find that the “researchers” threw away the data at the end and reverted to their feminized, PC dogma. Men favor meat. Why? Perhaps because many of us ARE designed to eat more meat than not. Perhaps because we don’t like veggies and never did. And, perhaps, because we ARE SUPPOSED TO like meat.
The facts laid out in the article went there – but the researchers are so brainwashed that they missed the obvious. Breathtaking lack of common sense for a team of people who would clearly support Obama (our first pansy president) too.
Report Post »nonofmybiznez
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 9:41pmNot to mention, it tastes good. Nothing is like a juicy grilled steak…okay, now I’m hungry.
Report Post »WhiteFang
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 11:45pmDoes a real man need to prove he is macho?
Or is he macho because he is a real man?
What he eats makes no difference.
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 3:33am@stogieguy7
Methodological Implications for Quantitative
Metaphor Research
This article describes a multimethod framework to more comprehensively examine whether an object or product has rich metaphoric or symbolic value. There is no doubt that many products, including foods, have both broad and deep meanings (Levy 1981) and that these features could influence
purchase and consumption. Meaning can be approached with psychological methodologies but can only be fully analyzed using methods and approaches from different disciplines and
perspectives. Convergent findings, like those reported here, are part and parcel of the establishment of claims in the sciences, in general. For the case of metaphors and symbols, however, there is more need to spread across disciplines and use very different methods.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yep. You are exactly correct. Communists “doing science”. Who needs empirical data when you have “convergent findings”. So surprised this garbage came out of the University of Chicago.
Report Post »paperpushermj
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 3:12pmCan’t say I like the Gender Stereotyping tone implied. So my counter shot would say Women eat salads because they want their behind to look good.
Report Post ».
Vanity: Thy Name is Women
Docrow
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:36pmVegetables are what food eats. ;-)
Report Post »johnjamison
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:53pmExactly , and here’s a clue for the dumba55e5 doing the research RED MEAT TASTES EFFING GREAT. ESPECIALLY OFF THE GRILL.
Report Post »It’s noy mystery MEN EAT WHAT THEY LIKE. At least the one who could give a ratz a55 about PETA
4xeverything
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:27pmAs a woman, I like my red meat lovin’ man just fine, thank you very much. I may begin to have doubts if he starts to prefer sushi though.
Report Post »SLEUTH
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 10:16pmwell said DOCROW; also, men dont care about thier weight, women do. ‘nough said.
Report Post »Canyouhearus
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 1:17amMen should have a bit of the macho! Nothing like helping a macho man devour a juicy grilled steak!
Report Post »Viva the macho meat eater!
Scientist types… stay out of our diets and our lives.
Just preparation for the Unsustainable Meat Eating being foisted on us by the UN Agenda 21 crowd!
Eat, feast and be merry!!!
Wolf
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 10:10am“…“Women, do the dishes. Men, eat more meat.”…” the author claims was a common refrain in her home: sounds like a dysfunctional household to me.
Report Post »As for the study: real men don’t need a reason to eat other than hunger. Men who need meat to prove their machismo are puccies.
Dougral Supports Israel
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:35pmI don’t care if meat is macho or not. I eat it because it tastes much better than vegetables. Women likely eat veggies because they are more weight conscious.
How to get men to eat more vegetables? Don’t try with this guy because I am a happy carnivore and intend to stay that way.
Report Post »redgypsy
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:35pmGood Lordy Pete! They spent MONEY on this. Who cares?? (Except for the fact that they spent MONEY on this….)
Report Post »woodcellar
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:34pmI have a wife and black son in law who both like a chunk of rare cow as much as I do. And pretty much everyone else I Know. But we have the best quality distillers grain fed beef here in Nebraska. I been places where the beef wasn’t nearly a good. Thanks to the ethanal industry.. Think about steak next time you fill up with gas. We can get a better steak for $5 thane you can in New york for a $100.
Report Post »TRILO
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:41pmCows did not evolve to eat corn, they are herbivores which means they eat grass. The only reason they are fed corn/grain is to fatten them up. It they had to live long term on grain they would die.
Now they are fed GMO pesticide corn thanks to the FDA and Monsanto that rots their intestines and increases the need for more antibiotics.
And yes…. my family has a diet rich in meat…. it is just local grass fed beef.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:34pm.
Just dehorn it, wipe its butt and run it up on the plate……
Oh and a baked potato no sour cream…..
Report Post »rl
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 6:24pmI’ll have the same….. but I want LOOOOOOOOOTSA butter on my potato…..
Report Post »stumpy68
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 11:37pmand ill take the sourcream
Report Post »RedManBlueState
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 12:46pmI’ll take sour cream. And CHEESE! And crushed BACON!!!
Report Post »The potato is just a vehicle for animal-derived tasty goodness!!
BLACKDIAMONDSKIER
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:30pmIf you are going to go through hell, keep going. – Winston Churchill
Reading this article could be compared to going through hell in some circles.
Report Post »Truthbeliever2
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 5:16pmLol
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:24pmI Must be a wimp.I Eat so much Chicken I Fart Feathers. Chicken is all I Can Afford with Obama in the White House Putting me in the Poor house.
Report Post »Best_Patriot
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:37pmboneless breast of chicken is about $1 less per pound than steak. get a job.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 3:26pmBut a whole chicken can feed a family for 4 dollars. A 4 dollar steak feeds about 1/2 of a person.
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 3:34pmYou Must be daft. I pay .99 a pound for chicken.Even cheap steak is $3.99 and you have to chew it an hour before swallowing. Lay off the LSD Kool Aid.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:20pmWe have four canine teeth to tear meat apart,I’ll have my filet mignon medium with the blood and steamed broccili no butter.I’m health conscious.
Report Post »lel2007
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:18pmWhat an asinine postulation. Were men to eat anything to seem more macho they’d be eating barbed wire. Men most likely eat red meat because it tastes good. Today’s factory produced chicken has no flavor other than that shaken out of a spice jar.
Report Post »Constructionist
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:18pmThey’re on to me. All these years I have been cringing as I gagged down that God awful porterhouse, brisket, and ribeye. Secretly, my soul yearned for quiche, low fat mocha frappes, and petits fours. I trust several million dollars was spent on this academic tripe. Tripe, by the way, is real man’s food.
Report Post »Brizz
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:16pmDumbest research ever. Asking if food is masculine or feminine doesn’t mean people eat it to be macho or girly.
Report Post »midnightvelvet
Posted on May 22, 2012 at 1:14amAm I unfeminine because I eat meat? Oh no! More junk science for me, please!
Report Post »mike_trivisonno
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:15pmThese “studies” are welfare science for welfare scientists. The welfare scientists live only to get that next federal grant to undertake some new hair-brained “study”. Every week, we get bombarded with a dozen or so “new studies” proving or disproving some stupid something or another.
Your tax money go to Washington, DC, where foolish and destructive men and women give it to other stupid people who have been trained to fill out the correct federal forms to receive “federal funding”. Then they “do science” and generate a “study” which makes them eligible to fill out more forms to get more welfare, er, I mean more grant money.
It is a massive waste of money and supports a class of people (the welfare scientists) that most people don’t even know exist.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:14pmI hate studies like this with the year 2012 idea of what and how a man should think, eat and act.
Real women like the strong, traditional man and real women like red meat right along with their male counterpart.
Men in America have been so feminitized, so cowed, so turned to mush over the last twenty or so years that women like me would be clean out of luck if I was young and in the marriage market now. I want a man that not only eats red meat but could go out and kill it and clean it if necessary. Thank God I found a real man to marry before they were bred out of existance.
Now I think I’ll take go some steak out of the freezer for supper tonight. MY husband will love it.
Report Post »Metallicat
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:13pmIm one of those who would renounce my omnivore status.it isnt a macho thing. its the preferred choice of this predator.If I was a wolf,my preferred prey would be cows. some of us are just sheep and eat like one.
Report Post »circleDwagons
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:12pmI hope we the tax payers did not pay for this study.
Report Post »well done steak is manly? sushi is feminine?
thegreatcarnac
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:10pmI eat red meat….grilled preferably. For years the leftist anti-male, anti-white. anti- American media a have attacked eating red meat. They say red meat is bad for you. It is just another way to bash the Americn White Male. Screw this lame study.
Report Post »Best_Patriot
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:19pmyou’re a paranoid little person, ain’t ya? I love eating cow and so do all my “lib” friends. get outside and talk to people instead of stewing in your own hate in front of the radio.
Report Post »JRook
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 3:40pmNo one should eat the institutional beef that is sold in our grocery stores. Beyond the steroids and antibiotics they are injected with steers are fed a diet that would kill them in 6 months if they weren’t slaughtered. Take the time to obtain some grass fed, no hormone and non antibiotic beef. You will immediately notice the deeper red color and the real beef taste. Nutritionally there is no comparison and it actually reduces your risk of heart disease. It isn’t that beef is bad. It’s that the stuff our industrial and grocery companies sell is garbage.
Report Post »Best_Patriot
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:09pmI eat red meat because it tastes awesome. People who think certain foods are “manly” are usually morons and have low self esteem or daddy issues.
Report Post »luxlife
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 4:38pmEase up Dr. Freud – three fingers back and all that…it’s plausible that there is a link that goes back to our primal ancestors. Now pass me the A1 please.
Report Post »ErinLindsey
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:05pmPeople, men and women, eat meat because it’s DELICIOUS! Not because it’s more “manly”. Give me a break (and pass the mashed potatoes)
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:03pmI am a Male… of a Preditoral Species… which Hunts & Kills… to have MEAT.,, where the Meat has the best Taste of anything that I Consume!
Report Post »P8riot
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:05pmyup
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:02pmnope
i dont buy this vegan payed for ad
i eat all my veggies…………….as long as they sit on a plate next to steak
Report Post »copatriots
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:02pmUn-flippin’-real! Must everything have a survey and a study! For the love of all things sane…….my husband and I eat meat because we happen to like it! It’s food…..it nourishes our bodies….and it’s good!
There. I just saved Life Science a bunch of taxpayer money explaining for free why we eat meat.
Report Post »P8riot
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 2:02pmThe only thing more “macho” than a thick, juicy cut of steak is a thick, juicy cut of venison from your kill last week! oh yeah.
BTW – eating a giant turkey leg will also help you man-up next Thanksgiving.
Report Post »jhaydeng
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:58pmI would love to give a wedgie to the genius that approved this study! What a waste of freeking time and money!
Report Post »VanishingFreedom
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 1:56pmanother worthless study, get off it and pass me the A1
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