Typically, male lions eat first. They rarely give up their fair share of the meal, however unfair that may seem. In fact, lionesses and cubs often have to wait until their patriarch is finished eating before they can.
A male lion would only allow the rest of his pride to eat if he wasn’t hungry, he was severely outnumbered, or he recently took over the pride.
The first reason is fairly straightforward and does happen, although it’s rare. A situation in which the lionesses are incredibly hungry or just grouchy and outnumber the male 10:1, he may choose to back down; however, he may also choose to lay down the law. A new male, one who has conquered his predecessor and hasn’t earned the trust of his lionesses yet, may struggle to eat first, but in that case will usually display his dominance.
Otherwise, adolescent males who have yet to leave the pride may bow their heads to older lionesses.
Basically, it’s not in the pride’s best interest for a male lion to go hungry. Males are larger and stronger than females and, therefore, are the main defense against newcomers. If a pride is overtaken by a rival male, the established male is exiled, and the new male will kill any nursing cubs.
Lions and lionesses have different jobs to do: While lionesses hunt, give birth, and raise the cubs, lions maintain their territory and ward off rivals. It’s a family dynamic that works and is usually respected.
EDIT: Thank you for everyone’s comments and enthusiasm! You guys make my day!
I believe the original question I answered which went something along the lines of, “Why do male lions give up food when females attack them?” has been merged with another. Just for clarification, that is why this answer revolves so heavily around food!