Sweets for women, steak for men? Gender helps explain food choices

Video: Is taste controlled by gender?

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   >>> this morning on "tooled's health" the role gender plays in our diet, one of the main reasons why women supposedly crave chocolate and we men supposedly prefer meat. here with insight "today" diet and nutrition editor madelyn fernstrom and psychiatrist dr. gayle saults. i don't know, the whole theory, i think if you look at people, do they really all fall intocategory, me n and women ?

   >> really in nature biology plays a role. when you're trying to lose weight your gender with k make a difference. there are stereotypes of difference but nowadays behavior trumps a lot of the biological issues

   >> gayle when we talk about gender-specific foods what are some of the examples?

   >> in this country overall, men tend to be bigger meat eaters, and women tend to be bigger sweet eaters, and there are several reasons for this. evolutionarily, it may that be men were the hunters, the reward was meat, they needed the bigger muscle mass so they needed to eat more meat and women were back at home and the treat sorts of things if you will was more okay for them. but now i would say we've evolved into the stereotypes where it's manly to have a big steak and it's feminine to eat a bag of chocolate kisses.

   >> right.

   >> and maybe it's harder to make the crossover because it feels like you're giving up a bit of your gender if you do that.

   >> madelyn, is there a biological component to this?

   >> there is a biological component but that's only in survival mode. when we were hunter/gatherers, men would hunt and it would be meat is the reward. in supermarkets food is everywhere so it's important to switch this around and behavior is going to override most of the biological signals.

   >> there may be some biological differences still, men's and women 's brains are wired different. a beer for instance might be more appealing for a womaman, but the pinks could me might be more appealing.

   >> men like fat/salty combinations, and women the sweet/fat. notice the combination with fat.

   >> a guy goes out and orders a fish and salad, they're thinking what's up with you and a woman orders a steak, people think what's up with her.

   >> maybe you're trying to be on a diet, trying to lower your cholesterol so a salad or fish is a good thing to order but if you're feeling the guy also give you a hard time or even if they aren't giving you a hard time but in your head your own voice is saying this doesn't feel very manly you're not going to order that. it has nothing to do with how manly with how you are. i argue it's more manly to take control of your diet

   >> how do you incorporate it to make sure you're eating a healthy lifestyle?

   >> there is discomfort. so people eat for taste. you have to like it. you have to retrain yourself to say it's fine, everyone should have fruits and vegetables, man or not. women who need two iron and b12 could use a little red meat. not locked into this but be open and be an omnivore, eat of all of the good foods. like in a family people want their kids to be better eaters. if dad is eating a big steak and mom is always on a diet.

   >> you have to think of putting gender in a life enjoyable to you.

   >> plate sharing.

   >> chop some wood, al, and then have some fish.

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