A comparison of attitudes and behaviors of men and women toward food and dieting.

: This study compared attitudes and behaviors of men and women toward food and dieting. A questionnaire was administered to 198 consecutive adults coming to a family practice clinic; about one-fourth of these men and ten percent of the women were obese. Over 40 percent of the respondents had a high-self-esteem and 87 percent had a generally positive attitude toward themselves. Five times as many women were not satisfied with their weight and body image as men. Twice as many women as men felt the overweight condition had a moderate to strong effect on their self-esteem. Women thought about overeating and felt guilty when eating twice as often as men. Sixty-eight percent of women dieted monthly to a few times per year; seventy-five percent of men dieted once yearly or never dieted. Our society stresses thinness in its women; this study shows some of these effects.