Undermining women’s need to eat is harmful to our health

https://www.reddit.com/r/fatlogic/comments/ijgjg7/the_constant_infantilization_of_women_has_got_to/

Since forever, our bodies have been objectified to the point where we are unable to normally function like human beings without having chauvinists getting mad over it. Here are the ways misogyny plays a role regarding what, when, and how women eat:

1 . The easily flawed TDEE calculator

We’ve all heard of the TDEE calculator. Apparently it’s supposed to tell you how many calories you need regarding your sex, height, physical activity, etc. Only problem is, it insinuates that men must always have more calories than women. No, not sometimes, ALWAYS. Apparently physical activity is thrown out the window because as long as you have a penis, you have to eat more. And it’s no wonder there are more overweight men. They’re listening to some stupid AI telling them to eat more than their bodies are actually requiring them to, especially if they have a sedentary lifestyle.

Not only that, but it also ignores the needs of women who are extremely active. Because we have a vagina and clitoris, apparently we should eat less than a sedentary man. Which is hilarious because the TDEE calculator ignores the fact that the more physical activity you do, the more you need to eat. Because of this, there are many women who are underweight, or even worse, suffering from anorexia and other eating disorders. It tells women that if we eat as much as a man, we will become “out of shape”.

But apparently when we call out sexism, some idiots on r/fatlogic will claim that “facts don’t care about your feelings”. Are they okay? Because they seriously need to get therapy. I’m also confused, if men build more muscle the more they eat, why are there more overweight men than women? Gentlemen, what the hell are you hiding from us?

Speaking of how much we eat…

2 . Gender labels on food

Oh god, just why?! Do men really think when a woman eats more than a man, they’re being “emasculated”? Why is it that meat is called “man food” while a boring old salad or any small snack is called “girl dinner”? That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard! It’s bad enough when you label toys, clothes, and bathrooms. But FOOD, of all things?!

Why is it such a bad thing when a man is a vegan? Why is it a bad thing when a woman prefers to eat burgers and hot dogs? Personally, I have ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and I get sick eating most vegetables, so I’d rather stick to meats. Does that make me a man all of a sudden? HELL NO! We eat to live, for fuck’s sake! So what’s the fucking point in gender labeling one of the most basic needs of our daily lives?!

3 . Diet culture and undermining women’s hunger

Ladies, we all know when we’re hungry, what our bodies need, and how much we need. But apparently, some dipshit know-it-alls think they know our bodies more than we know ourselves.

For example, imagine someone coming home constantly complaining about how his/her daughter “eats too much”. He/she claims that the daughter ate four pieces of chicken strips and a whole pie and then she “has the nerve to cry out she’s starving”. And to top it all off, he/she calls his/her own daughter a “greedy little pig”! Makes you feel sorry for the kid, doesn’t it?

What these people tend to ignore is that our bodies are growing, so of course we need to eat more. The infantilization of women is harmful because it teaches us that if we eat more than what society tells us, we are disgusting and worthless subhumans. Women are not a monolith. Our bodies and minds are far more complex than we’d like to believe.

Diet culture has the nerve to insist that the ideal woman must be thin in order to be positively attractive and fit for the ideal man. I’m definitely sure some health-nut out there will be saying “it’s not about beauty, it’s about health”. No the fuck it isn’t! If it was, then why do we have bigots going around saying they hate fat people? Gee I wonder why there are so many women (and men) with eating disorders?!

4 . The hatred of women with eating disorders and obesity

Heading back to r/fatlogic (the bane of my fucking existence as an overweight woman), these comments make me want to hurl my computer out the window!

”I just visited that sub, and you are full of shit”

And you are an even bigger pile of shit.

”lol eating disorders instead of poor decisions? r/fatlogic”

r/fatphobialogic

”It's pretty easy to do so tho. After a month of absence sweets are way too sweet, meat isn't this tasty and cheetos and other crap like that literally stinks. I sure feel like that thanks to my awesome parents who wouldn't let me eat too much of this crap but it can't be this hard. Also you can find so many healthy foods you enjoy.. Well this comes from the guy who loves broccolis but still. I'm cheering for all people on diets!”

You’re a privileged white man with no eating disorders! Of fucking course it’s fucking easy for you! Also the unnecessary food labeling, you can go to hell! Apparently moderation is not a thing with this fucker, ooh sugar bad, meat bad, veggies good, blah blah blah blah! Any person who cheers on people who are suffering in diets can rot in hell!

That sub is full of nothing but privileged white men who brag about how they were “raised right”, eat “healthy foods”, and disregard the perspectives of others that don’t fit their own!