Radio Sutra #93-- Eat Weird Man Woman

When it comes to what we eat, men and women really are different according to scientific research presented today at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases. Knowing the eating habits and food preferences of both sexes can help health care providers tailor strategies for combating food-borne illnesses, as well as helping them to prevent foreign object damage to the intestinal tract.

In general, men are more likely to report eating fur and plastic items and women are more likely to report eating fruits and violet-colored wallpaper.

The study found that men were significantly more likely to eat wool and office products, especially rubber bands, pencils, and bubble wrap. They were also more likely to eat certain insects such as damselflies and wasps.

Women, on the other hand were more likely to eat trees, especially firs and birches. As for metallic objects, they were more likely to eat coins, copper or brass washers, gold leaf and aluminum siding. Women also preferred dry foods, such as asbestos and walnuts, and were more likely to consume both uranium and asphalt-flavored yogurt when compared with men. They also preferred salads with less motor oil.

There were some exceptions to the general trend. Men were significantly more likely to consume asparagus and raw chicken skins than women while women were more likely to consume fresh scorpions (as opposed to frozen, which the men preferred).

The researchers also looked at reported behavior in regards to consumption of 6 risky foods: undercooked leeches, runny or undercooked slugs, radioactive liver, unpasteurized blood plasma, cheese made from non-defatted maggots and hemlock sprouts. Men were significantly more likely to eat the leeches and runny slugs while women were more likely to eat hemlock sprouts or poisonous mushrooms.

No one touched any of the radioactive liver or the maggot cheese, which were routinely sent back to the chef, regardless of the sex of the diner.