Food Choices Based on Gender and Social Setting

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On an average day, most Americans are consuming some quantity of food. With the consumption of food, there is an underlying message in what they choose they eat. Their choices of intake are more than just needs of survival, they extend far beyond that. By Americans being allowed to choose their own foods to eat, they’re given a feeling of power and satisfaction. Food choice is a convoluted behavior that is derived from instinct and is derived from many integral factors. Since the early 1800s, men and women were given distinct roles in society. The images depicted of them have gone on to play a role in the influence of what foods they should eat. Because women are seen as a symbol of delicacy, it’s expected of them to eat small portions while men take on the larger ones. Both groups also tend to eat the foods they eat due to the environments they’re exposed to. As Americans, we live in a culture where food dominates majority of our lives and the choice of what we put into our mouths is firmly fixed with gender roles and social setting.

Both men and women were seen as two different people with different contrasting expectations. Although their duties separated them from each other for half of the day, when it came time to gather as a family it was usually during meal time. It used to be that what the household ate, the woman would have as well. Today, some of these women are cooking different foods for their families compared to what they’re eating. With the pressure to be thin by society, women are constantly striving to maintain a healthy and slender looking body. It’s as if it’s expected of them to give birth to a family and then maintain them while controlling their appetites. Compared to men, there are some women who tend...

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...ts before they head home, they’ll pick up whatever they can on the go because it’s much more convenient than preparing a meal. The Americans who always make it home on time for dinner will make different choices than that of a person who works late night shifts. What people see at any given moment will persuade them into choosing their foods for the day.
The food decisions that Americans make on a daily basis are shaped by other factors that include cultural, biological, and economic influences. The food choices that Americans make are mere forms of self-expression. Behind each of the choices, there’s not only an influence but a story that comes out of them that allows for newer generations to learn more about food habits. Whether it’s through the influence of gender or the environment, Americans will always use their food and food choices to leave an impact behind.

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