Men eat meat to feel manly: study

Plenty of fellas are sure to have beef with this research.

Men have a tendency to eat meat so they’re perceived as manly, and changing that gender stereotype could lead to a reduction in carne consumption, according to a UCLA study reported by the Daily Mail.

“Shifting men’s perceptions of ideal gender roles away from traditional masculinity could lead to their reduced consumption of beef and chicken,” psychologist Daniel Rosenfeld, who authored the study, said.

Rosenfeld and Janet Tomiyama, Ph.D., surveyed 1,706 American adults age 18 to 88 regarding their meat-eating habits, willingness to turn vegan or vegetarian, and their tendency to conform to traditional gender roles.

“First, compared to women, men reported that they eat all types of meat more frequently, including beef, pork, fish and chicken,” the duo explained.

Men who adhere to masculine stereotypes more frequently consume beef and chicken, and show a reluctance toward going vegetarian.

Men who often eat fish and pork do not stick to those rigid ideas of manliness.

Both chicken and beef appear connected to men’s sense of masculinity. Alamy Stock Photo

Women didn’t display these trends in the study, which has suggested the connection between men’s meat consumption and a sense of their masculine identity.

“A deeper understanding of gender roles may be useful to reducing public meat consumption for improved human health and environmental sustainability,” the researchers wrote.