Women must work harder to lose weight
Women must blend diet and exercise to successfully lose weight.
I
t’s widely assumed that men and women lose weight differently. Diet product advertisements tend to suggest that all men have to do is give up sugary drinks or bread and the pounds will fall off. Women, however, do not see such immediate results. But is there any truth to the assumption that women have a harder time losing weight? That depends on who you ask. In his book, “The Complete Guide to Walking,” Mark Fenton quotes a study that found women who tried to lose weight by cutting their caloric intake by 500 calories per day didn’t lose as much weight as women who dieted away 250 calories and walked away 250 calories. That’s because the walking toned and built muscles. Muscles, it seems, are the key to more efficient weight loss.
body fat and about half the amount of muscle mass than a man of the same size. The higher fat percentage plays a role in pregnancy and nursing, and tends to be concentrated for women in the hips and thighs. Experts say it is more difficult to lose fat from these areas than the stomach, an area where men tend to gain weight.
Men tend to have more muscle mass than women, who have a greater percentage of
Information found in the study, “Sex
Differences in Exercise Metabolism and the Role of 17-Beta Estradiol,” by Mark A. Tarnopolsky, as published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, says that the estrogen in a woman’s body predisposes her to store and retain fat more readily than a man. Women also oxidize more lipids rather than carbohydrates and protein during exercise. As a result, women will have to work harder to lose weight at the same rate as men. Even when exercise is factored in, a woman’s body may still store fat and attempt to slow metabolism in an effort to preserve body fat for reproduction. The way the female body is programmed to hold on to fat and the fact that women have less testosterone and do not produce the same level of muscle mass as men (muscles help to increase metabolic rate) are the main reasons why women may have a harder time losing weight than men. There is another factor that may play a role
in weight loss as well. Men have a 25 to 30 percent greater lung capacity than women because males are taller and more broadchested than females. This means that when women and men are exercising side-by-side, men may have an endurance advantage because they are breathing in more oxygen. Women may feel more winded and tire more easily when exercising, particularly if they are not conditioned for it. This may shorten workouts for women. Just because there are physical differences between men and women that can affect the rate by which both sexes shed pounds, that doesn’t mean women are incapable of losing weight. Increasing exercise in addition to cutting calories will help speed up metabolism. By building lean muscle, women can help their bodies more actively shed pounds.
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