Moti Ho Jaegi: Why Does Society Disapprove Of Women Who Have A Big Appetite?

Our patriarchal society puts restrictions on every aspect of a woman’s life. Be it her lifestyle, her looks, her education, her career or even her appetite. Yes, you read that right. Society controls a woman’s appetite too. It feels uncomfortable when women have a good appetite and feels entitled to define how much should our kind eat.

Women are always expected to set fewer expectations in life. They are expected to be submissive in&t=1152s"> marriage; they are expected to demand less salary in office; they are expected to speak and laugh in a lower tone; they are expected to gain less weight and be light. As far as appetite is concerned, women are asked to control it so that they don’t cross a certain body size. It is assumed that having a big appetite will make them gain weight which is not good for their physical appearance and hence their marriage. Moreover, a high appetite is unwomanly because voracious eating is often considered an activity that suits men. There was a time when it was considered "ladylike" to eat a small quantity of food, that too at a slow pace. How far have we come though, if women are still policed for their eating habits?

Women with big appetite: Stop policing what we eat

But dear society, having a low or high appetite is not dependent on gender. Metabolism differs for every body- so while some women can have a big appetite, it is also possible that some men don't eat big portions of food. Then why do you feel entitled to put a barrage on women’s appetites? Why can't we let people eat based on how hungry they are?

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Did you know that the excess appetite of a woman is often related to out-of-control desire, sexuality and power? So if a woman has a big appetite, it means she has little control over herself. If she can't control how much food she eat, what other aspects of her life will he treat with similar attitude? What kind of wife will she make for?

It doesn’t just end on appetite, society controls the way a woman eats and what she eats. Women are trained to be sophisticated eaters so that they don't come across as messy, which is a masculine trait.

How long will society monitor women’s lives? How long will it impose restrictions that neither make sense nor make our lives better? When will society let women breathe in their own way? When will society let women eat in their own way? Does society ever stop men from eating or eating a lot? Then why does big appetite become a bodily issue only when it comes to women? Are only women expected to have a healthy and toned body? When will the culture of body shaming women end?

Eating less than their appetite can lead to unhappiness as women feel conscious about their diet and feel guilt even if they have one extra bite of food. Every person has the right to eat whatever they want and how much they want. What we need to focus instead on is eating healthy and this should be encouraged in everyone irrespective of their gender.

Views expressed are the author's own.