Let’s cut to the chase like any manly man would. Man is to meat as woman is to cake.
The debate over which gender is more likely to consume massive amounts of meat can end with one word: HUNTING. Since the onset of civilization, men have hunted animals for meat, fur, and to impress, guess who…women. Now give me a lady who can hunt, skin, and eat a wild animal if she so wishes. Chances are, you’ll be bringing in a muscular woman who looks like she’s straight out of sport entertainment.
Before this article scares anyone away, let’s get a few things straight. Meat-eating has long been linked to strength and masculinity. And by meat, we mean massive cuts of greasy steak, flamed to satisfy a man’s craving. You go to a burger joint, look around, and see who are holding quarter pounders and double cheeseburgers in their hands–not many from the opposite sex as they‘d rather order pasta. Of course, there’ll always be exemptions on both men and women’s dietary preferences, but for the sake of this argument, we’ll stick to what is observed from the majority.
While the mere mention of the word “meat” gets women to picture chicken breast, men think differently. For the guys, there are only a few things in this world more satisfying than seeing a slab of red meat being roasted right in front of them.
“There is a group of manly men who swear off what they call chick food, and they seek a double whopper to declare their manhood,” renowned professor Hank Rothgerber told NBC News. “Meat consumption is a symbol of patriarchy resulting from its long-held alliance with manhood, power, and virility.”
Dietary Habits
Unless a woman has given up on dieting, she will cut down on meat, of course save for the ever healthy fish and chicken breasts. In fact, these two types of meat comprise a large portion of the meat consumed by women. But in totality, it is the male specie that eats more of both red and white meat.
If you see a lady heartily chomping on some beef tenderloin, there’s a possibility that she’s just trying to send a signal that she’s tomboyish, or that she just genuinely doesn’t care as much about her figure as most women do.
In the same vein, a dude who has given up meat for environmental or animal welfare issues is either a total wimp or simply thinks his love for animals will score him girls. Of course, there is always the possibility that he is a real vegetarian with a genuine concern for Mother Nature.
The University of British Columbia’s Dr. Steven Heine puts it best: “Meat has been closely associated with power and privilege–a staple for gentry and a rare treat for the peasants. Through abstaining from meat, a widely established symbol of power, status and masculinity, it seems that the vegetarian man is perceived as more principled, but less manly, than his omnivorous counterpart.”
Physical Conditioning
With dieting come sports and other physical activities. By nature, men are more active than women, therefore they need more of the essential nutrients found on meat. They need protein, iron, and zinc to sustain their energy for an optimal performance. As for women, there is perhaps nothing more satisfying than a bottle of soy milk after a Zumba class.
The aforementioned nutrients are found in almost all kinds of meat, including beef, pork, lamb, veal, even poultry and fish. Protein and zinc are particularly lacking in vegetarian diets, so if you are an athlete who lives by the greens, you might want to start replanning your diet. But that’s not saying fruits and vegetables are not important. Of course, they are. But whether you are a hobbyist or a serious athlete, most dietitians will still say that you absolutely need meat in your diet.
The equation is really all that simple. If you are looking to bulk up, eat meat. If you want to get lean, eat green. Now something is telling in that last statement: in general, men tend to bulk up while women prefer to get lean–that’s about how the earth spins.
Anyone who has an active lifestyle needs meat in their diet. There is nothing wrong with a vegan diet as long as it’s well-balanced. After all, no one can ever argue about the benefits of vegetables. But if you can’t imagine a full meal without any type of meat, you’re most probably an athlete, an outdoor person, or in simpler terms, a MAN.
