Diet: Why do men and women gain weight differently?
updated the 14 July 2015 à 18:33It is undeniable that men and women are different in many ways. But what about weight gain? Do men tend to get fat more easily that women, or is the opposite true?
We eat exactly the same food but he gains two kilos only while you put on double of that! Maïa Baudelaire, an expert nutritionist in eating habits, explains the reasons for this phenomenon.
a DIFFERENT way in DISTRIBUTIng the FATS
Whatever our morphology and weight, women have between 20 and 25 % of adipose tissue (fat mass) as opposed to 10 to 15 % for men. Indeed, from adolescence onwards, women secrete large quantities of oestrogen to facilitate the storage of fats for pregnancy purposes. In order for the baby to develop normally, he/she will take from the fat storage of his/her mother in the pelvis and thigh area. This is why women are predisposed to store fat in these particular areas. In contrast, men tend to gain weight in their upper body (stomach, breast, belly), which poses a threat to the development of cardiovascular diseases.
DIFFERENT NEEDS
Because of their morphology, men who want to lose weight have to consume between 1600 and 1800 Kcal. Whereas, women must consume less than 1600 calories.
THE MENOPAUSE
As if the distribution of fat was not enough, the menopause is another disparity between men and women! When the ovaries cease to produce hormones, the body tends to store more calories in order to counteract this upheaval. This phenomenon makes us gain from 2.5 to 4.5 kilos. It is thus important to reduce your calorie intake and take regular physical activity.
MUSCULAR MASS
Men are lucky because they have more muscle mass, which helps them stay in shape. To maintain this muscle mass, the body spends more calories than it does to maintain the fat mass. Men not only have less fat to lose, but they will lose it more quickly and more easily; it’s enough to render all women jealous!
Maureen Diament
