Mars vs Venus - The Great Weight Debate
Article written by Rana Morris.
Have you ever lost weight by dieting and restricting everything in sight and spent hours exercising, only to see your husband, partner, boyfriend or brother losing more weight than you. He may even be doing this while still eating chips, chocolate or drinking beer! Well you’re not alone!
Often weight loss is a common goal amongst couples or members of the opposite sex, however, women feel despair when their weight doesn’t budge on the scales yet their male counterpart has not only lost weight but in a short period of time. But do men really lose weight quicker than females, or is it just an excuse? Unfortunately for women the answer is yes, men do lose weight at a faster rate. Let's take a look at why.
Why oh Why???
Body Composition
One of the main reasons why men lose weight faster than women is their body composition. Men physiologically have more lean muscle mass on their frames, heavier bones and less body fat than women. For example a 20-30 year old man weighing 70kg, has around 31kg of muscle, 10kg of bone and 10 kg of fat. A typical woman of the same age, weighing 57kg, has around 20kg of muscle, 7kg of bone and 15kg of fat. Factor in here that this is a woman of child bearing age and has a recommended body fat of 20-30% total body weight, where as the percentage fat on a male is between 12-20%.1
Typically muscle tissue is very active and requires more kilojoules, roughly 92-138kJ per kg everyday just to exist, so even at rest men are burning more kilojoules and therefore have a higher metabolism than females (actually around 5-10% higher).3 The end result being a more rapid weight loss for men.
Hormones
Men have higher levels of Growth Hormone and Testosterone than females and this has an impact on the rate and efficiency of body metabolism and on the speed of fat loss. Women have more oestrogen for menstruation and childbearing and this has a significant effect on holding onto body fat and storing it in certain areas for this magical process.
Emotional Eating
Women and men can eat for different reasons besides hunger. A study conducted in 2005 found that women were more likely to eat in response to negative emotions. They ate higher calorie foods such as confectionary and biscuits to improve their mood temporarily however they also reported they felt guilty afterwards.2 Men tend to reach for more protein type food and home style cooked meals instead of a carbohydrate feast to achieve comfort. But they are often more inclined to go out and overindulge than females and are less conscious about their weight for health.
Being Physically active
Men are more likely to increase their physical activity to help them lose weight than women, rather than restricting food intake.4 Often males find they can lose weight simply by embarking on an exercise program without dieting at all. But why is this? Could it be….
- That men often have more physical jobs such as brick laying, plumbing or labouring so overall they burn more kilojoules during the day?
- Are they more likely to catch up with the boys at a team game of footy rather than for coffee or lunch?
- Or is it simply because they use more kilojoules at rest and therefore they may burn more during physical activity?
The Bottom Line ( No Punn Intended)
The bottom line here is that to achieve successful weight loss and a true healthy lifestyle every individual should be concerned with their own journey and not be tempted to compare themselves with others, be it male or female. Males and females are different for many different reasons; however we all have the opportunity to make positive lifestyle changes to be healthy and achieve our own realistic goals. So don't give up simply because your weight loss isn't as quick as others, low and steady wins the race!
References
- Abernathy, R.P. and Black D.R., 1996. Healthy Bodyweights: an alternative perspective. Am J Clin Nutr [Online] 63(suppl) p. 448S-451S. Available at http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/63/3/448S [Accessed 13th May 2010].
- Dube, L., LeBel, J.L. and Lu, J, 2005. Affect asymmetry and comfort food consumption. J Physiol Behav [Abstract Online] 86(4) p. 559-67. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16209880 [Accessed 13th May 2010].
- Ferraro, R. et al, 1992. Lower sedentary metabolic rate in women compared with men. J Clin Invest [Online] 90(3) p.780-4. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1522233 [Accessed 13th May 2010].
- Miller-Kovach, Karen 2010. Why Men Lose Faster than Women [Online] Available at http://www.weightwatchers.com.au/util/art/index_art.aspx?art_id=37701&tabnum=1&sc=808&subnav=In+the+News[Accessed 13th May 2010].
Last updated 10/8/2010 3:29:07 PM
