Portion size tells who I am, food type tells who you are: Specific functions of amount and type of food in same- and opposite-sex dyadic eating contexts

Abstract

Previous research has shown that women eating small portions of food (vs. eating big portions) are perceived as more feminine, whereas men eating large portions are perceived as more masculine. The specific type of food items have also been shown to carry connotations for gender stereotyping. In addition, matching the co-eater's food quantity is also a means to ingratiate him or her. Thus, a potential motivational conflict between gender identity expression and ingratiation arises when people eat in opposite-sex dyads. Scholars have, thus far, focused their attention on one of these two dimensions at a time, and rarely in relation to the co-eaters' sex. The present study investigated, through a restaurant scenario, the way in which women and men, when asked to imagine having lunch in dyads, combine food choice and quantity regulation as a function of the co-eater's sex. Results showed that participants use the quantity dimension to communicate gender identity, and the food type dimension to ingratiate the co-eater's preferences by matching her/his presumed choice, following gender-based stereotypes about food. In opposite-sex dyads, dishes that incorporate the two dimensions were chosen above the expected frequency.

Overindulging in food: How overeating may increase women’s preference for stereotyped activities and objects

“…However, we cannot be sure that the participants' reactions to those recollections were not influenced by the type of food consumed (i.e., masculine food [e.g., meat] or feminine food [e.g., fish]). Indeed, besides food quantity, the type of food may exert a strong influence on this identity aspect, and the dimensions of amount and type of food are often confounded in the literature (Cavazza, Guidetti, & Butera, 2015b), even if recent results suggest that quantity is a preferential way to communicate gender identity compared to food type (Cavazza, Guidetti, & Butera, 2017). Study 2 aimed to overcome these limitations.…”

Factors affecting on perception and knowledge of portion size in young adults

“…The evidence within the literature suggests that gender is a substantial factor and men tend to misinterpret portion sizes more frequently than women (Almiron-Roig et al , 2013). Moreover, previous studies indicate that women are prone to consuming some foods in smaller or bigger portions depending on the foods, and this is called “feminine.” On the other hand, men have a tendency to consume in bigger portions, which is called the “masculine style.” Therefore, specific foods and socio-demographic gender are reported to bear a gender stereotype (Cavazza et al , 2017). In a study, when compared to men, it is suggested that women more frequently consume a Caprese salad or a small-sized hamburger with an elegant presentation than foods with larger portion sizes and simpler in nature; thus, this group of foods are considered feminine food (Cavazza et al , 2015).…”

Does Incorporating Gender Differences into Quantifying a Food Frequency Questionnaire Influence the Association of Total Energy Intake with All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality?

“…Differences in food consumption between men and women have been recognized by several studies. Men’s food portions were larger than women’s in general, but not for all single foods or food groups compared [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. There were also gender differences in food choices [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”