Do elderly women tend to be the pickiest eaters?

[Anonymous]

My oldest child is definitely the pickiest but my mother is a very close second. Unless it's sugary. Then she has no restrictions

[Anonymous]

I'm always reminded that C.S. Lewis identified picky eating (for orthorexic/control reasons) as a form of gluttony, the "Gluttony of Delicacy" instead of excess:

It's typical to associate gluttony with overconsumption, or, an excess of food or drink.

But according to C.S. Lewis, that’s only one form the vice takes. The broader definition of gluttony is any inordinate desire related to food or drink. That includes overconsumption, but it also includes overselectivity regarding the type or quality of food and drink.

From "The Screwtape Letters wrote:
"My dear Wormwood,

The contemptuous way in which you spoke of gluttony as a means of catching souls, in your last letter, only shows your ignorance. One of the great achievements of the last hundred years has been to deaden the human conscience on that subject, so that by now you will hardly find a sermon preached or a conscience troubled by it in the whole length and breadth of Europe. This has largely been effected by concentrating all our efforts on gluttony of Delicacy, not gluttony of Excess. Your patient's mother, as I learn from the dossier and you might have learned from Glubose, is a good example. She would be astonished—one day, I hope, will be—to learn that her whole life is enslaved to this kind of sensuality, which is quite concealed from her by the fact that the quantities involved are small. But what do quantities matter, provided we can use a human belly and palate to produce querulousness, impatience, uncharitableness and self-concern? Glubose has this old woman well in hand. She is a positive terror to hostesses and servants. She is always turning from what has been offered her to say with a demure little sigh and a smile ‘Oh please, please ... all I want is a cup of tea, weak but not too weak, and the teeniest weeniest bit of really crisp toast’. You see? Because what she wants is smaller and less costly than what has been set before her, she never recognises as gluttony her determination to get what she wants, however troublesome it may be to others. At the very moment of indulging her appetite she believes that she is practising temperance. In a crowded restaurant she gives a little scream at the plate which some overworked waitress has set before her and says, ‘Oh, that's far, far too much! Take it away and bring me about a quarter of it’. If challenged, she would say she was doing this to avoid waste; in reality she does it because the particular shade of delicacy to which we have enslaved her is offended by the sight of more food than she happens to want.”

https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/cs-lewis-deadly-sin-gluttony/

It's impossible not to think of Burger King Lady, but of course this can be true for any age or sex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with a lot of the reasons already given. Just want to add that the pickiest eaters in our extended family are the younger folks (vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free, etc) - not complaining, just an observation. Also, my parents and their siblings grew up in the Depression. They eat anything (except what ‘doesn’t agree’ with them for health reasons) because they remember times when they had nothing to eat.

Same experience with the bolded here. Lots of people in their 30s and 40s have very specific diets and are not willing to eat different foods.

[Anonymous]

well maybe it's because they have been doing all the cooking for more than 50 years and are used to eating a certain type of food. Men are used to just eat whatever is served to them. So it's by habit and not by virtue of their age or gender

[Anonymous]

It may be the bland and homogeneous food choices from their generation shaping their palate.

Or their gut may be sensitive at that age.

[Anonymous]

I'm "pickier" than my elderly parents, but I also have digestive and autoimmune issues, so no gluten,.no dairy, no legumes for me. Looking back, I probably needed to do this as a child but my parents were of the "you have to eat everything on your plate" variety.

My mom has become pickier as she has aged, mainly also because of digestive issues. I do think people 70+ aren't as comfortable talking about why they may need to be picky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It may be the bland and homogeneous food choices from their generation shaping their palate.

Or their gut may be sensitive at that age.

The palates of people who eat spicy and "flavorful" food is equally being shaped by the food they eat. My older relatives who grew up eating exclusively West African food do not really enjoy other cuisines, bland or spicy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may be the bland and homogeneous food choices from their generation shaping their palate.

Or their gut may be sensitive at that age.

The palates of people who eat spicy and "flavorful" food is equally being shaped by the food they eat. My older relatives who grew up eating exclusively West African food do not really enjoy other cuisines, bland or spicy.

This. And I say this as someone who would much rather eat West African food than Midwestern American food. But this idea that people who eat spicier foods than are common in some regions of the US have a more refined palate is silly. There are unadventurous eaters in every corner of the world, and just because you consider their food of choice "exotic" doesn't mean anything. It is only exotic to you. There are people for whom a hamburger and French fries would be deemed adventurous and exotic as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm always reminded that C.S. Lewis identified picky eating (for orthorexic/control reasons) as a form of gluttony, the "Gluttony of Delicacy" instead of excess:

It's typical to associate gluttony with overconsumption, or, an excess of food or drink.

But according to C.S. Lewis, that’s only one form the vice takes. The broader definition of gluttony is any inordinate desire related to food or drink. That includes overconsumption, but it also includes overselectivity regarding the type or quality of food and drink.

From "The Screwtape Letters wrote:
"My dear Wormwood,

The contemptuous way in which you spoke of gluttony as a means of catching souls, in your last letter, only shows your ignorance. One of the great achievements of the last hundred years has been to deaden the human conscience on that subject, so that by now you will hardly find a sermon preached or a conscience troubled by it in the whole length and breadth of Europe. This has largely been effected by concentrating all our efforts on gluttony of Delicacy, not gluttony of Excess. Your patient's mother, as I learn from the dossier and you might have learned from Glubose, is a good example. She would be astonished—one day, I hope, will be—to learn that her whole life is enslaved to this kind of sensuality, which is quite concealed from her by the fact that the quantities involved are small. But what do quantities matter, provided we can use a human belly and palate to produce querulousness, impatience, uncharitableness and self-concern? Glubose has this old woman well in hand. She is a positive terror to hostesses and servants. She is always turning from what has been offered her to say with a demure little sigh and a smile ‘Oh please, please ... all I want is a cup of tea, weak but not too weak, and the teeniest weeniest bit of really crisp toast’. You see? Because what she wants is smaller and less costly than what has been set before her, she never recognises as gluttony her determination to get what she wants, however troublesome it may be to others. At the very moment of indulging her appetite she believes that she is practising temperance. In a crowded restaurant she gives a little scream at the plate which some overworked waitress has set before her and says, ‘Oh, that's far, far too much! Take it away and bring me about a quarter of it’. If challenged, she would say she was doing this to avoid waste; in reality she does it because the particular shade of delicacy to which we have enslaved her is offended by the sight of more food than she happens to want.”

https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/cs-lewis-deadly-sin-gluttony/

It's impossible not to think of Burger King Lady, but of course this can be true for any age or sex.

Love that quote! Thanks for sharing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may be the bland and homogeneous food choices from their generation shaping their palate.

Or their gut may be sensitive at that age.

The palates of people who eat spicy and "flavorful" food is equally being shaped by the food they eat. My older relatives who grew up eating exclusively West African food do not really enjoy other cuisines, bland or spicy.

This. And I say this as someone who would much rather eat West African food than Midwestern American food. But this idea that people who eat spicier foods than are common in some regions of the US have a more refined palate is silly. There are unadventurous eaters in every corner of the world, and just because you consider their food of choice "exotic" doesn't mean anything. It is only exotic to you. There are people for whom a hamburger and French fries would be deemed adventurous and exotic as well.

Reminds me of the joke:
"You know what Chinese people call Chinese food?"
"Food."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are more likely to bring up certain foods "no longer agree with them." Meaning it gives them horrendous embarrassing gas.

+1

IME, elderly women are more likely to not eat certain foods because of the, um, side effects. Elderly men are the actual pickiest eaters, and the least likely to try something new or unusual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are more likely to bring up certain foods "no longer agree with them." Meaning it gives them horrendous embarrassing gas.

+1

IME, elderly women are more likely to not eat certain foods because of the, um, side effects. Elderly men are the actual pickiest eaters, and the least likely to try something new or unusual.

In my experience its the elderly men avoiding foods that no longer agree or cause digestion issues. My dad avoids peppers and onions as much as he can and likes things very bland. The older my parents get the less likely they are to try things new and actually the more they seem to be reverting to a comfort food diet. They ate a more varied diet a decade or so ago.

[Anonymous]

OP, why is this such a big deal to you? If you are being forced to make a bunch of special foods, I can undersand annoyance. But that doesn't seem to be the case here. You just seem annoyed because these women don't like to eat certain foods.

If so, why do you care? And would you be posting this if it were female teens or children? Doubt it.

What does a FEMALE human being's age have to do with picky eating? I know plenty of children, teens, MEN, and young people who have limited food choices.

So sick of the age bashing on DCUM especially women.

[Anonymous]

You haven’t met my sons.

[Anonymous]

My brother in his 50s has always been the pickiest person in my family. My mom had always been kind of picky—she favors processed food—and she’s gotten pickier with age, I think.