Male And Female Eating Habits

Women nibble at food while men gulp it down in two bites -- right? This might be a stereotypical belief about how men and women behave differently, but some true differences exist in eating habits between the sexes. Men and women make different food choices, eat more or less frequently, and do so for different reasons.

Eating Habit Determinants

Whether you are male or female, certain factors influence eating habits regardless. Your cultural upbringing is one. Some cultures view eating as a major social activity or eat specific foods. Socioeconomic status is another important influence for eating. Families with less money might have smaller meals, downplay eating or eat smaller meals more frequently. Whether or not you have food allergies or medical conditions also influences food choices. Level of education is another determinant in the types of food eaten.

Food Choices

Debra Waterhouse, author of the book, "Outsmarting the Midlife Fat Cell," reports that women make food choices based on whether they believe the food is a good choice for losing weight or a bad choice. The author says 66 percent of women eat this way, according to a survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association. In general, women are healthier eaters, consuming more fiber and fruits and vegetables.

Snacking

Men actually have a tendency to snack more than women do, according to Fitness Magazine online. In a food survey conducted among 1,000 participants, 60 percent of men claim to snack. Fatigue, boredom and lack of mental alertness were some of the reasons cited by both men and women for noshing. If women do snack, they try to stick to one serving, or so they reported in this study, while men might have more. Yet for overweight men and women, females do more snacking, according to a study reported in the "International Journal of Obesity" in 2005.

Skipping Meals

In a study of 220 college students conducted at the Lebanese American University, female students were less likely to skip meals, particularly breakfast, than male college students. The October 2008 "Nutrition Journal" reports that students completed questionnaires on eating habits and were measured for body fat. The females reported healthier eating habits overall in terms of meal frequency.

Socializing While Eating

Women tend to eat more meals in the presence of others, according to Japan Times Online. This article reports a study of self-described eating habits. While men reported eating with others around half the time, women did so 66 percent of the time. A study at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, indicated that women who eat in the presence of men choose lower-calorie foods, but men ate the same way whether other males or females were present during mealtimes.