Weight Loss - How Do Men & Women Compare?

Have you always wondered why men seem to lose weight faster than women attempting to do the same? This is attributed to the fact that men tend to have higher amounts of lean muscle tissue which helps in burning more calories than fat even when they are resting. And even when men and women lose the same amount of calories, men usually shed more weight at least initially. But in case of long-term goals, the effect is more or less equal.

Reasons why men shed weight faster than women:
Men are endowed with testosterone and free from the estrogen load: The difference in weight loss programs usually sets the stage of comparison. When both sedentary men and women start off with exercise programs, men invariably lose more body fat while women don’t. This is because testosterone content in a man’s body coupled with the absence of excess estrogen make it easier for the males to shed off weight. Also, men have a speedier metabolism which helps their body to respond faster to the changes in diet and exercise. And even if they are not losing much weight, apparently it appears that they do.

On an average, women tend to have around 6 to 1 1 percent more body fat compared to men. Right from puberty to menopause, women can keep up more average body fat than men even when they are taking a lesser amount of calories. But it is important to point here that the fat content in women is not necessarily unhealthy because a fit woman would also hold around 11 percent more body fat than an entirely healthy man.

Men lose weight around the belly faster: Men can lose weight faster around the belly which makes it even more noticeable when overweight men start trimming down. On the other hand, the fat content in a woman’s body is more spread out which makes it even harder for them to showcase any substantial result within a short span. And even basic and regular workout for around half an hour in a day will reduce abdominal obesity even when there is no effective weight loss.

Women too have advantages when it comes to weight loss as well: Sometimes, women have more body fat in the backsides and thighs which make healthier fat storage spaces than the abdomen. Moreover, just like women are better when it comes to storing fat, they are also better at burning more fat. The fat which is harder to lose is generally less harmful.

To conclude, it can be said that losing fat is equally difficult for both men and women. But anyone willing to lose weight can accomplish it regardless of the gender.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!