Healthy Body or Pleasing Physique? A Comparison of Food Headlines Between Men’s Health and Women’s Health Magazines (2015-2019)

Abstract

Gender roles continue to change and evolve, including in the realm of sport that by its very nature tends to highlight the body in relation to health, fitness, and appearance. Even though newspaper and magazine headlines may prominently reflect societal norms and frames pertaining to gender, food, and health, there is a paucity of studies theorizing and/or examining the role or influence of headlines found on magazine covers related to food and gender. In the current study, a content analysis of headlines pertaining to food on the covers of fifty Women’s Health and fifty Men’s Health magazines (2015–2019) revealed that headlines from Men’s Health featured the need for men to build powerful muscle mass through consuming foods, beverages, and supplements high in protein. Snacks, drinks, supplements, and easy meals were promoted to men seemingly unable or unwilling to cook. On the other hand, headlines from Women’s Health promoted weight loss without any muscular gain achieved through preparing and consuming meals rather than relying on supplements and beverages. In both magazines, headlines implied the path to good health and an admired physique can be attained through a diet largely devoid of healthy food. Thus, rather than moving societal frames towards creating a more egalitarian society between males and females as the co-existence of these two highly similar magazines would suggest, the food headlines from Women’s Health and Men’s Health seemingly achieve just the opposite by activating and reinforcing (outdated) societal gender roles and stereotypes.