Smaller meal portions for women

[mynamefor2025]

Currently watching good morning Britain and they are discussing If smaller portions should be offered to women to help with obesity rates as women need fewer calories.

Er is there no obese men on the planet? I feel like given a few years, we will all be micro chipped and have every thing controlled for us by the government including our portion sizes.

The Daily Mail is the only article I can find not behind a paywall -

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15360313/amp/Labours-obesity-tsar-restaurants-women-smaller-portions-men-calories.html

No one is suggesting portions for women are by default smaller. They are suggesting giving the options of a smaller cheaper meal to anyone who wants it, whilst noting that women and small men are likely to need fewer calories.

@cinquanta I didnt see the programme either, but based on the op, the suggestion is to offer females smaller portions, no-one is saying that women will be forced to order the smaller dishes, I am just saying that i think that offering women less is sexist. Yes women often need less calories but there are other considerations, like level of appetite for example, will women end up being embarrassed if they want the man's portion? Will a man with a smaller appetite be embarrassed to order the 'woman's portion? So I think its a good idea if a choice of small or larger portions are offered, but it shouldn't be labelled a man's or womans portion.

Well it really depends as in some places, portions can be small already! 😂

I think it is a good idea but shouldn’t be “for women”…just an option on the menu that people can choose from.

As long as it isn’t because you are a woman you are served the small automatically…or that there is a question that is asked to you “a big or small portion?” Lol….

Same here. Not all women eat less than men and some women have more active lives, but if the average woman ate as much as the average man they'd certainly gain weight over time.

I wish I could order smaller dishes. I can barely eat half of a normal restaurant serving, and that's without a starter. I am paying for food that is twice the size I can eat.
There is a pub that we go to which does this, it is such a relief not to out faced with huge portions all the time.

I think the Cost of living Crisis may be forcing people to eat smaller meals portions due to the cost of food.

Plus portions in take aways especially Chip Shops have really shrunk.

I'm on Mounjaro so would love to order a 1/2 or 2/3 portion as often restaurant main courses are my total cals for the day!
Sadly the only saving would be on the raw ingredients which is paltry to the cost of the overall dish, so you'd end up paying say £19 for a half portion rather than £21 for a full portion which most customers would find laughable.
When I'm out with the kids, I get them to order a kids meal and then swap as they eat way more than me.

DW and I were out I'm on semagluetide so ordered small plate ,DW ordered normal size lunch.
It arrived and it was assumed small plate was for DW.
People should be left to decide for themselves,anyway restaurant portions aren't huge col etc.

Get a grip

I’m angry on your behalf. Cut from the same cloth as my MIL who gives bigger portions to men and always offers seconds to her son first.

And that sounds a good idea. I eat out quite frequently, and I’m a short, older woman who is fairly sedentary, so would find this to be helpful. I try to choose a lower calorie option when I can but it’s not always possible.

Well maybe not , maybe there were nuances, but that is exactly what was being widely reported www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15360313/amp/Labours-obesity-tsar-restaurants-women-smaller-portions-men-calories.html

That was my take on the GMB segment on it which did seem odd.
Oh table 7 has two women in ..oi chef cut those portions🤯🤯

I’d appreciate a smaller portion option.

Would the meals be cheaper? I don’t think you could call a portion a ‘ladies’ size! But restaurants do smaller plates and it should be your choice! What if you’ve not had lunch and your fella has? At home, I do give my partner a larger portion than myself as he needs more calories, but I’d be fuming if this was out and about!

If I know I'm having a meal out, I eat a little less at other meal times so I can treat myself at the restaurant. If it's unplanned then I like a menu which has a light bites/smaller plate option which is also cheaper. I don't want to be told what to eat though! I generally only have a main while my husband has 2 courses. Restaurants generally offer starters, mains, side dishes and desserts. So if I had a women's portion does that mean I now have room for dessert?!

It depends on lifestyle- I am petite, but for a special occasion I can happily eat three courses on a menu.

I take on average 25,000 steps each day, so find it easy to be in a calorie deficit! A larger man with a lifestyle with no exercise probably burns less calories a day than I do!

I don’t think that you can simply state by gender or appearance what people’s nutritional requirements are!

likewise when I nursed my children, I needed an extra 500 calories a day!

Er it literally is if you get to have less fun as a result.

I eat the same as my husband and we're both fine I'd be furious if someone offered me less

I also hate when women get a chocolate and men get booze as wedding favours

Fuck that! I'm a large woman, I eat what I want with no apologies. If I'm paying someone to cook £0.50 worth of pasta with half a chilli and 4 KS prawns for £20, yeah I want a decent portion. What in the Stepford wife shit is being proposed here 😳 So will a gender neutral person get a portion that's in the middle or less than a man/womans portion. Fucking ridiculous

It appears that what is actually being suggested is that smaller portions be made available to anyone who wants one, not offered to women only or labelled as men’s or women’s portions. Another MN storm in a teacup.

“Speaking in a personal capacity, Professor Sattar, who is the chairman of the flagship Obesity Healthcare Goals programme, said normal portions should remain available for everyone but that a second option should be offered with around 25 per cent less food, which would be more suitable for women.

The reduced-calorie meals could also be more appropriate for shorter men, who need to eat less than the average man, Professor Sattar and his team from the University of Glasgow and Glasgow Royal Infirmary said.”

Smaller portions = yes (many places already do) specifically for women?! Hell no - historically I’ve always had a much bigger appetite than my DH (faster metabolism, more active) not so much now I’m getting older but to dictate this is ‘for women’ is just so 1950’s 🙄

How to trigger a plump woman. 🤣

She wants her cake and will definitely eat it!

This! I’m breastfeeding and feel ridiculously hungry. Husband, on the other hand, is dieting at the moment and eats less than me.

They do this at my DD’s independent secondary school. The boys all get given bigger portions than the girls, especially in the older year groups. The girls are up in arms and currently signing a petition.