Why are there more female vegetarians than male vegetarians?

Question

I've been wondering why this is for a while lol

Oh my god.
I didn't mean to offend anyone and I never said this was 'statistically correct'. To be honest it was just a general question about something i have noticed.

Answer 1

men think it is more manly to eat meat and want to prove their manliness, whereas women just don't care about being manly and care more about their preferences or the environment.

Answer 2

I'm not completely sure that what you have said is accurate, but following a small amount of preliminary research, though I couldnt find any statistics for the last 3 years (most appear to be pre-2003), it appears that you might be correct (see the sources).

The most credible reason I found whilst (briefly) reading through various articles is the following:

""For both men and women, the No. 1 reason for becoming a vegetarian is for health benefits. Nearly half of all vegetarians cite health as the single most important reason for giving up meat. And because health concerns play such a big role when people choose vegetarianism, it makes sense that there are currently more female than male vegetarians. According to statistics compiled by Men's Health magazine, women visit the doctor an average of 6.2 times per year and men 4.5 times per year. One could use these figures to argue that women are hypochondriacs, but what they show is that women take a more proactive approach to their health.""
[direct quote from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_n210/ai_16019829 ]


In short, many females are more likely to be pro-active about their health or sensitive (possibly, even susceptible) to the moral issues surrounding vegetarianism.
This follows from the 2:1 female:male ratio stated within the same article which i quoted from previously.

Answer 3

The numbers in my local veggie group seem about 60-40 female-male. Certainly, from my limited experience, it's easier for a veggie female to tolerate an omnivore boyfriend, than it is for a veggie male to get on with an omnivore girlfriend. So that's one important barrier less!

I don't have any problem getting enough calories, and I'm working out at the gym four times a week. Yes, females appear to be more sensitive and aware of the issues that prompt one to become veggie, but even I managed to not ignore the abbatoir that I had to walk past to get to work. Plus I was convinced that the Atkins Diet was just wrong - a view supported by the BBC Horizon programme some months after I became veggie in August 2003.

Answer 4

Women generally aren't bothered about the stigma attached to it (myself included). A lot of men are !! I think it takes a REAL man to stand up and be a vegetarian or even reduce his meat intake. I am sorry to say this boys but mostly when I get heckled for being a veggie it is by men not women !!

Answer 5

well, all I have to say is that either some of these answers are incredibly stupid or people have stupid reasons for being vegetarians. I personally am a vegetarian because I don't really care for the taste of most meat, and cuz I care about the planet i live on. I get plenty of protein, and I do heavy lifting and still things like that and I also do NOT do it cuz i'm worried about being fat!

Answer 6

What is the basis for this question? Hopefully all the man-bashing has finished now and you may get a decent answer.

I'm a veggie man, I am sensitive and care about my body too, but not for vanity just what I put into it.

Answer 7

Females are more suseptible to trends, fads, and the societal pressures of being thin. They also are more likely to be unthinking bleeding hearts. Of course there are those males that lack significant testosterone and REAL WOMEN smell those "wimps" and refuse to date them. Hence, they are stuck with veggie head females.

And if THOSE don't date them . . . well one certainly wonders what the problem is, doesn't one?

Answer 8

Maybe it has something to do with the need for protein in male and females since men are larger and do more manual labor such as heavy lifting etc. It's also much tastier to eat a steak then take protein or iron supplements or mix up some tofu. Personally I prefer a steak and other meats over that stuff too. Am I fat? No I weigh 105 and I'm 5'3

Answer 9

Men automatically - probably genetically crave meat. I have never met a man who did not consume large quantities of meat.

Answer 10

Not by that many.

There are more women than men in general.

Answer 11

Sorry, but this is bull. I am a male vegetarian and I cannot find a single female vegetarian in my city to date. I think there are equal numbers of both male and female vegetarians, but males are less likely to speak out and be noticed.

In fact, I think there are more vegetarian guys than vegetarian women. Guys are more likely to stick to their vegetarianism because we aren't doing it as a fad.