My dad’s a ‘barbie’ man and my mum’s the cooking girl: Boys and the social construction of food and nutrition

Academics from a variety of disciplines claim that gender has an influence on men’s and women’s food choices and portion sizes at mealtime and snack time. While these socially constructed norms present health-related implications for both men and women, it is arguable that men have a greater risk of problems associated with overweight as a consequence of gendered food choices and dietary practices. This article reports on qualitative research data attained from Australian boys in early childhood and middle primary school years. The data were thematically analysed using inductive analysis. The voices of boys provide the opportunity to understand how gendered food choices, among males, emerge in contemporary Western culture. Such research can also potentially play a role in developing strategies to assist boys in making healthy food selection, which will ultimately assist their food-related health literacy as they move towards adolescence and adulthood.