A woman and her husband go on a diet together. Are they both motivated? YES. Do they each faithfully watch what they eat and exercise? YES. Nevertheless, the man is more likely to shed unwanted pounds earlier in this process than his wife. You’re not imagining it, there really are differences between the way men and women eat and process food, lose weight and respond to exercise.
Merely being a woman is a risk factor for obesity: According to a study in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, merely being female doubles the chance of being overweight. American women are 3.3 percent more likely to be overweight and 3 percent more likely to be obese than their male counterparts. Women are 6.6 times more likely to have a weight-related disease as compared to men.
Physiological differences: Men and women have different metabolisms. Men tend to have more muscle than women, and because muscle burns more calories than fat, men burn more calories than women even when doing nothing. Men burn anywhere between 3 to 10 percent more than women, studies have shown.
Hormones are a major issue: Most people lose muscle mass and gain weight as they age. For women, there’s an extra challenge: menopause. Due to the decrease in estrogen, post-menopausal women are more likely to gain weight than men in the same age groups. Female hormones also store calories as fat, which takes up more space than lean muscle.
Brains are wired differently: When it comes to food, there is evidence that men and women’s brains are wired differently. In a study published, even though women said they weren’t hungry when asked to smell, taste, and observe treats such as pizza, cinnamon buns and chocolate cake, brain scans showed activity in the regions that control the drive to eat (not the case for men).
Clearly, there’s a combination of factors at play here. But, make no mistake-men have their own set of health woes and need just as much support to stay healthy. Call 973-235-9393 and start your health journey with us.
