Men eat meat to feel manly, says study

A study claims that men tend to eat more meat than women to “enact and affirm their masculine identity”.

The study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) surveyed 1,706 American adults between the ages of 18-88. The aim was to evaluate their conformity towards traditional gender roles through analysing their consumption of meat.

UCLA psychologists Daniel Rosenfeld and Janet Tomiyama, quizzed the participants about their meat-eating habits and their openness to leading a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

Results showed that men have an increased tendency to consume beef and chicken, which led the study to believe they are more inclined to adhere to traditional masculine stereotypes.

When the men were asked if they were open to vegetarianism, they were less inclined. Women, however, were more open to the idea of becoming vegetarian for health reasons.

Surprisingly, there were no observations for pork or fish consumption.

The UCLA study suggested that men were less inclined to cut out meat AFP via Getty Images

The research concluded that if society shifts the reinforced gender stereotypes, it could eventually reduce meat consumption on a whole.

Psychologist, Daniel Rosenfelt, said: “Shifting men’s perceptions of ideal gender roles away from traditional masculinity could lead to their reduced consumption of beef and chicken.”

The researchers suggested that the findings from the study may prompt future efforts for men to switch to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable meat-free diet.

“A deeper understanding of the role of gender may help reduce public meat consumption to improve human health and environmental sustainability...

Self-attributable masculine/feminine gender differences between men provide insight into these phenomena”, researchers added.

The full study can be seen here.