Meat Is a Masculine Issue

"Cross-cultural research consistently shows that men eat more meat than women, particularly beef and processed varieties. Large-scale surveys from the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia reveal not only larger portions but also more frequent meat consumption among men. Women, by contrast, tend to eat more plant-based foods and smaller servings of meat, while vegetarianism and veganism remain markedly more prevalent among women than men."

"This gap is not trivial. Men's higher meat intake contributes to a dietary greenhouse gas footprint around 41 percent larger than women's, a striking statistic at a moment when climate science urges rapid reductions across all sectors. Indeed, if the average man halved his meat intake at dinner alone, total daily food-related emissions would be lowered by 16 percent, while a 75 percent dinner-time reduction would reduce this by a quarter."

"In her influential book Fat Is a Feminist Issue, Susie Orbach argued that food, body, and gender are intimately intertwined. For women of the 1970s, and arguably still today, being thin wasn't just a body type but a signifier of social status and moral worth. Fast forward 50 years, and a parallel conversation is emerging around men's diets. In 2025, the question is no longer whether fat is feminist, but instead we're asking-is meat a masculine issue?"

Gender differences in meat intake arise from identity and social norms rather than biological inevitability. Masculinity stereotypes drive higher meat consumption in men across cultures. Cross-cultural research shows men consume larger portions and more frequent servings of beef and processed meats, while women eat more plant-based foods and have higher rates of vegetarianism and veganism. Men's diets produce about a 41 percent larger dietary greenhouse-gas footprint than women's. Halving men's dinner meat intake could lower total daily food-related emissions by 16 percent; a 75 percent dinner reduction could cut emissions by a quarter. Behavioral science offers targeted approaches to overcome meat-defensive beliefs and encourage sustainable choices among men.

Read at Psychology Today