diets

I went to a few Weight Watchers meetings and started talking about diets with my friends. I've noticed that my female friends never seem to tire hearing about food, diets and plans whereas the guys... well... couldn't be less interested.

Any idea as to why that might be? Both sexes can have vanity issues and be obsessed with body image.

 

I despise women who talk about dieting. My prior place of employment was all women on weght watchers...whenever I hear the word points I still shudder. If I ever need to lose weight I do it by exercising as my appetite is too finicky to be on any diet plan.

 

I'm sorry to hear that your experience with dieting women has brought you to the point of actually despising them. Some people need support and encouragement to put them ontrack. Some folks--due to medical conditions, age, overall health--are unable to engage in exercise that would raise their metaabolism substantially. So the need to be on an eating regimen is what has to be in place.
I have worked with a number of diabetics who have spoken to each other about what they can and can't eat. I certainly don't shudder whenever I hear the words "insulin" or "blood glucose".
But... to each her own.

 

Well I think part of it has to do with the fact dieting isn't a talking point which guys really find that interesting to talk about with their friends. But also, I've had many friends who've dieted you could say to lose weight, but to them it was less of a diet then it was to try to just eat healthier permanantly.

 

Women have to be careful what they put into their bodies - especially and specifically when they are pregnant.

I find that most men do not make the connection that what they eat doesn't just have an impact on themselves.

 

Because men go to the gym instead of dieting.

 

I'm not a guy, that's not why I said that. I just get sick of hearing people (mainly women)scrutinize what I eat because their on a diet all the time, yet they're really overwieght and no diet seems to change their size. When I gained weight I just lost it the normal way...ya know eating healthier foods and getting off my ass...that's a great diet...I should market that shit! d:
I didn't feel the need to tell people or berate my thinner counterparts for eating a brownie in the office.

 

so do girls if they're not the hokey weight watchers type

 

There is a pretty huge difference in gym culture between guys and chicks.

 

point? all I said is I would take going to the gym any day over some chemical ladden point crap.

 

hang out with guys who train and you'll see that we do talk about dieting, nutrition, cutting, bulking, ways of training, etc....its a lifestyle and when you live it, you talk about it

we dont' do weight watchers or other similar diets....i find them pretty silly and in general doesn't teach you how to eat properly

 

that's what I mean. I love talking about health (but am not interested in bulking or cutting hahaaaaaa) but not about deprriving myself and focusing because I have a tiny bit of fat on my ass and I can't have a beer because it's half my points...i mean what the fuck? who comes up with this shit....ohhh let's package some crappy food in tiny portions and sell it at a higher rate...hahaa that is the most pathetic consumerism ever.

 

Actually, my experiences of women who are constantly on some fad diet is not that the diet fails to change their size. Rather, the diet-failure-new diet cycle seems to pack on the pounds. Too many women go full throttle into some new diet, do great for a week or a month or whatever, lose the 20 or whatever pounds, go off the diet, and gain back 30, then go on a new diet, etc. in a nasty cycle of gaining back more than was lost each time.

That's what I tend to expect when I hear a woman counting calories or talking about Weight Watchers points.

The people I've known who actually lost weight and kept it off were those who made a lifestyle change (eating healthy foods without counting calories, getting more exercise, etc.) rather than going on a diet (which implies a temporary restriction).

 

And, I just realized I didn't really answer the OP's question in my response above... Excuse me, I'm tired & really out of it...

IMO, the simple reason for the gender difference is a matter of socialization. In certain settings, women are pretty much expected to be on one diet or another (unless of course she is already a size 0). In more image conscious areas (such as my stereotype of So. Cal.), I would expect this to be fairly common... As a grad student in anthropology, however, can't say I know anyone who is actually on a diet or ever talks about diet stuff... I wouldn't have patience to be involved in such a conversation, either.

On the other hand, guys are supposed to go to the gym. If they're thinking of diet stuff at all, they're supposed to be thinking of supplementing with protein shakes... They should only count calories to make sure they're getting at least some minimum that they need to bulk up.

Also, society in general (though this is less true in some areas, it seems very true in the midwest) tends to be much more forgiving of 50 extra pounds on a guy than of 20 extra pounds on a woman. So a guy with a bit of a gut becomes the cuddly teddy bear type, whereas a woman with a similar amount of pudge gets called all kinds of not-nice names (often by other girls, even those girls who would date the teddy bear type guy).

 

that's where I am... socal...diet capital of the US. It really is sad, particularly because there are so many physical things to so here and the weather is so great year round that no one should really have to diet.