Society Debate: Why do some men think its okay for them to over eat?

Who said women don’t? The moment I learnt of this week’s discussion topic, I burst out laughing, not because it’s funny, but because it’s confusing. Is it a simple cliché or is it scientific proof that men think its normal for them to clear the table of all the food? First of all let me clarify that a man’s diet is no one’s business. It’s only open to the world that men perhaps eat too much just because they hate secrets. Truth is told that women do eat too much food as well but they manage to confuse the world by doing it in the private, away from prying eyes. When at a party, a gentleman will feel free to load his plate generously with a mountain of whatever food is available, eat it and finish it against all odds. If he is not satisfied, he will brave all the peering stares and rejoin the queue for more food. This implies one thing- men know what they want and they will not pretend about it. On the other hand, some women, regardless of whether she is starving or not, will put as little food as possible on her plate, too little to even feed a baby, and even look disgusted while eating away. She will complain that the food is either too hot or too cold, too little salt or to much, over cooked or half cooked and so on and forth. If one has the time to follow her after the party, eighty percent chances are that she will stop at a fast food joint, buy fries, chicken, a burger and a coke, rush home and eat them like no man’s business. Now, who over eats? Just because we openly eat and finish what we have bought or been offered, does not mean we over-eat; we are simply not food wasters and most of all, not pretenders. I have seen young women, friends, acquaintances and sisters who are big fans of food; they will eat everything and will not mind who looks at them as they do. These few women, just like men realize that the problem isn’t eating too much, but rather not burning off calories through exercise. When a person over eats and doesn’t exercise, most probably they will become unhealthy or even obese. Becoming a glutton crosscuts both sexes; my definition of a glutton is someone who eats more than they should; as in, even when they are satisfied 100 percent, they still eat as if they are starving. This habit is what people should avoid, men and women together. Otherwise, eating a lot of food has never been a problem. We men don’t even think about it; like the blink of an eye which is never planned for, we eat unconscious of the size of food on our plate. As long as we don’t steal the food or deny the young ones their share, then we are good to go. Women should come out of their closet as well. Iivan.mugisha@newtimes.co.rw @RushAfrican on Twitter If it’s not to show superiority, it is plain greed! Okay, I know men and food are inseparable but is it necessary to eat like a horse just to prove that point? Men feel it is some sort of birth right to eat like there is no tomorrow and expect other people to understand it. Some time back, I attended a friend’s baby’s baptism party at a top restaurant. The buffet was simply divine. This one guy, called Marvin (not real name) did the ridiculous and piled his plate to the point that not even a pea could be fixed on what he already had without it all crumbling down by the time he sat down to start the spree. I was literally embarrassed on his behalf. The worst part is that he didn’t find it odd in the least and even the glares from other people didn’t stop him from adding to the heap. On the contrary, his eyes kept on widening in excitement as he approached dish after dish. I was willing to bet my head if he managed to finish what looked more like Mt. Kilimanjaro to me but to my utter shock, the chap finished it all. I was outright mesmerized! But this is not just about Marvin. It’s about men in general. So maybe not all men eat like that but even tradition had it that men were served the biggest portions. Apparently since they went out to hunt (and I’m certain it was not easy), it was only natural that they got the biggest share. But what about the woman’s labor at home? Has anybody taken time to think about how hard it is to dig? Women dug and still dig to this day, most times with babies on their backs and the sun blazing ferociously on their faces too. Thereafter they cook and clean and make sure the house is spic and span before the man gets home. She has chores every second of the day and the kids do not make it any easier. But what happens when the man gets home? He probably insists on eating from the saucepan just to make sure he doesn’t miss a thing! There is this juvenile belief that guys use more energy than women therefore, they need more food to restore that energy. I do not want to sound disrespectful but how much energy do my colleagues consume? I mean we are both seated here typing away at a computer yet for some reason he will insist he is using more energy. Let us stop looking for lame excuses and eat responsibly! There are women who do eat a lot that is a fact. But men have an arrogant perspective towards it. I have never gone out and seen a woman pile her plate with food the way men do. Even when the plates are super wide, chaps are still trying to get as much food on them as they can. Really people, let us have some decency. Why must you eat like your life depends on it? Okay maybe it does, but not in the space of an hour! I don’t know what I hate the most; watching an already plump guy shoving buckets of food down his throat or the annoyingly slim guy who will eat two metres of chapati and still have nothing to show for it. You’d think they would at least get sick after eating like that but no. I understand that the bigger the stomach, the more food a person needs but some of these chaps are so skinny that you can’t help but wonder where it goes. I used to think they are like pythons and don’t eat for a certain period when they are full; I was so wrong. Shockingly, they get hungry eventually (and by that I mean moments later). I suppose at the end of it all, it is their way of showing superiority. Either that or it’s just plain greed! What else can I say? Because when it comes to proving a point, they sure as hell have done it well! rachelgaruka@yahoo.co.uk