Irish men consume less healthy diets, are less aware of healthy eating guidelines and have a preference for larger portions than Irish women, a new report has found.

According to the report, Men's Food Behaviour, which was published by Safefood, men's attitude to food is putting them at a disadvantage when it comes to their health.

It reveals that overall, men consume less healthy diets compared to women, preferring more salt and fat and less fruit and vegetables.

Men are also less likely to view healthy eating as an important factor when it comes to their long-term health. Instead their diet choices tend to be dictated by taste, convenience and habit.

They have a poorer awareness and knowledge of healthy eating guidelines when compared to women and they prefer larger portions of food.

The report also noted that while 70% of Irish men are overweight or obese, compared to 50% of Irish women, men are less likely to monitor their diet or attempt to lose weight.

According to Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan of Safefood, men's food behaviour is partly influenced by ‘our food environment and societal attitudes around masculinity'.

"When it comes to food skills such as planning, purchasing, shopping, cooking and cleaning, women are more likely to be skilled in this area and still do most of this work," she pointed out.

She said that while many studies have looked at men and women's food intake and dietary patterns, ‘few studies have exclusively examined men's attitudes and behaviours in relation to food and health'.

"This report identifies how men view themselves and their relationship with food and is of importance for men's health given their levels of overweight and obesity," she insisted.

Dr Foley-Nolan noted that while life expectancy for both men and women has increased in recent decades, men still have a higher risk of developing certain major chronic diseases such as heart disease and some cancers.

This risk, she said, is ‘mainly due to modifiable behavioural factors such as poor diet, high consumption of alcohol and smoking'.

Also commenting on the report, Dr Aileen McGloin of Safefood, emphasised that ‘everyone has a role to play in influencing and enabling young boys and men to develop adequate food skills and have a healthy diet'.

She said that while some men do the bulk of cooking at home, ‘the balance still tips towards women' when it comes to this area.

"Equally, men are less likely to learn how to cook whether at home or in school. In fact in the education sector, boys are nine times less likely to take up home economics while the subject is less likely to be offered in boys' schools. This makes it harder for men to have a healthy approach to eating and diet, thereby resulting in poorer health outcomes," she commented.

She called for changes to be made at policy level, but also called on people to change their attitudes ‘to ensure that men are not left vulnerable in this regard'.