A larger portion of males is overweight than is females. Females' food choices in comparison to those of males
reflect the greater importance that females attribute to health and physical appearance; their more complex
attitude toward risk; the greater esteem in which they hold home-cooked food; and sociological factors. This
paper explores the variables that affect consumers' food choices, shedding light specifically on the choice process
and analyzing whether gender affects predispositions toward foods, perceptions, choice processes, or all three.
Perceptions and choice processes based on memory judgments serve only as a benchmark used to compare
choices consumers make under calorie information. The results of two experiments wherein the researchers exposed
subjects to twoforms of calorie information on three fast food items suggest that differences in perceptions
of foods' healthfulness and taste aspects account for gender differences in memory-based choices. In addition
to this baseline difference in perceptions, a gender difference in reaction to calorie information in terms of
consumers' behavior exists. While calorie information affected both perceptions and choice processes for
females, information changed the perceptions of food only for males.