'Real men don't diet': an analysis of contemporary newspaper representations of men, food and health

Gough, B, 2007. 'Real men don't diet': an analysis of contemporary newspaper representations of men, food and health. Social Science and Medicine, 64 (2), pp. 326-337.

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Abstract

Little research to date has focused on the meanings men attach to food and the relationship between diet and health. This is an important topic in light of the current ‘crisis’ in men's health and the role of lifestyle factors such as diet in illness prevention. Since the mass media is a powerful source of information about health matters generally, media representations bear critical examination. The present paper reports on an in-depth qualitative analysis of contemporary UK newspaper articles on the topic of men and diet (N=44). The findings indicate a persistent adherence to hegemonic masculinities predicated on health-defeating diets, special occasion cooking of hearty meals, and a general distancing from the feminised realm of dieting. At the same time, men are constructed as naïve and vulnerable when it comes to diet and health, while women are viewed as experts. The implications for health promotion with men are discussed.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Social Science and Medicine
Creators:	Gough, B.
Publisher:	Elsevier (not including Cell Press)
Date:	2007
Volume:	64
Number:	2
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	EPrints Services
Date Added:	09 Oct 2015 10:23
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2015 12:36
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/12089

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