Even women with equal rights eat less meat than men
Published: Thursday, Jun 13th 2024, 17:10
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Men eat meat more often than women - but according to a new study, this eating behavior is not observed in all countries around the world. It is therefore not a general difference between the sexes, according to the Zurich study.
In fact, the study, which was published in the journal "Scientific Reports", revealed the following: the more developed the country was and the more equal men and women were in the country, the greater the differences in meat consumption.
The researchers led by Christopher Hopwood from the University of Zurich write that the opposite is often assumed, namely that the differences between the sexes decrease with increasing equality. However, more and more research has shown the opposite, namely that the differences are increasing.
Where husband and wife choose different dishes
Hopwood and his colleagues give an explanation for this: "People in countries with greater gender equality have more opportunities to eat what they want - because there is greater financial freedom there and because there is less pressure due to gender roles." For example, spouses can sometimes opt for different things when eating together. The money is there for this, there are enough vegetarian options and it is socially accepted.
As meat is relatively expensive, people in poorer countries tend to eat less, Hopwood continues. However, if people could afford it and were free to choose, then men in particular would go for steak, sausage and poultry. "Women in wealthier and more gender-equal countries may eat less meat than one might expect due to the overall effect of wealth and gender equality."
Meat is associated with potency
For their study, the researchers surveyed more than 20,000 people from 23 countries online about how often they eat meat. The participants came from North and South America, Europe and Asia. The results were striking: In India, China and Indonesia, there were few differences in meat consumption between men and women. The greatest differences among the countries surveyed were in Germany. Switzerland was not one of the countries studied - however, the researchers themselves point out that 23 countries is a "modest number".
The researchers did not ask the exact reasons for meat consumption in their study. However, they explain that in many cultures the consumption of meat is associated with masculinity and virility. In some places, men who eat a vegetarian diet are considered less attractive than men who eat everything. How often men put meat on their plates could therefore also depend on cultural norms.
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