There’s A Scientific Reason Why Your Boyfriend’s Fat

Everywhere you look, you see it. Unfair treatment. Stereotypes. Feeling typecast because of your appearance. Because of your upbringing. Because of your outside appearance. Most of us have experienced this at one time or another. From body shaming to race shaming (also known as being racist, keep up), hair color shaming to backpack shaming. It’s everywhere.

And the newest injustice? Salad shaming. You know, lettuce? Kale’s older, more historically loved sister? For awhile, it kept its mouth shut. It accepted the fact that not everyone loved it. That not everyone could love it. It was there when we basics needed to slip into a tight dress, and it respected us when the cooler weather came and we started eating enough carbs to fill a freaking Panera.

But the thing is, lettuce has been stereotyped from the very beginning. Just think about it. Women feel pressured to order a big bowl of leafy greens on a date. But guys? Guys can’t do that. If your date sat down and asked for a chicken salad, dressing on the side, you’d immediately check under the table to see if he had a vagina. It’s wrong and it’s messed up but it’s just the way it is. And we only have ourselves to blame.

From Time:

“There’s a cultural stereotype that women tend to eat more healthfully than men,” says lead researcher Luke Zhu, assistant professor in the department of business administration at the University of Manitoba in Canada. It all goes back to the idea of priming: how culture often imprints concepts in our minds. Eating a salad is “what society thinks women should do,” Zhu says, while having a hankering for a cheeseburger is masculine.

And the injustice doesn’t stop there. It’s all in the marketing. Think of all of the “skinny” products. They’re aimed toward women who want to experience life without chub rub. Whereas guys are given things like giant pieces of pizza covered in cheese fries and chicken fingers because it’s mega. It’s masculine. And it’s for a man.

I don’t know who should be more outraged. The ladies who are spending money on overpriced crackers because they’re “low carb.” The guys, who can’t order a wrap without being called a pussy. Or the lettuce, who just can’t be loved for what it is.

Just remember, if you’re ever feeling down, you’re not alone. Somewhere there’s a wilted head of lettuce, just wishing some guy would grow balls big enough to order a Greek salad. And until then, we all just have to accept the fact that most of our men will never have that wonderful, muscular ‘V’ on their bodies. Or we could just start eating like linebackers too, and all live overweightly-ever-after. Ugh. Thanks a lot, society..

[via Elite Daily, Time]

Image via Shutterstock