Why Guys Lose Weight Faster

Couples like Irene and Brian who have decided to lose weight at the same time have probably noticed that the man usually loses more weight and at a faster pace than the woman. What’s going on? The truth is that men do have a physical edge over women in terms of weight loss their body composition enables them to lose more weight than a woman of the same weight. But women have an edge over men in other critical areas of weight management: women tend to be more attentive to what’s going on with their weight and are better able to make the connection between food and emotions. This article examines why men and women not only talk about the issue of excess weight differently but why they experience it differently as well.

Where Did the Weight Come From?

There is no denying that both women and men gain weight as the years pass. The average weight gain for adult men is 1.7 pounds per year and for women, 1.4 pounds. More than half say that they’ve gained at least 20 pounds since reaching adulthood. And the trend seems to be worsening.

Among adults between the ages of eighteen and thirty-four, the average weight gain per year is 2.7 pounds for men and 2.2 pounds for women. In a survey of overweight men and women conducted for Weight Watchers, women reported actively working at weight management for a longer period of time than their male counterparts. While part of that difference can undoubtedly be attributed to women’s earlier awareness of the excess weight and a quicker decision to take action, the age at which a substantial amount of weight was gained also seems to have played a role. In the survey, 56 percent of the women reported becoming overweight in their twenties. Only 43 percent of the men in the survey said that their twenties was their decade of substantial weight gain. The women in the survey also reported gaining their weight in a shorter period of time compared with the men.

When it comes to life events that trigger a substantial weight gain, the sexes are both similar and different. In another Weight Watchers study, overweight men and women were asked to describe life events that lead to weight gain. In equal numbers, the women and the men linked quitting smoking, going to college, starting a new job, getting married, and getting divorced to weight gain.

Men were much more likely than women to associate a gain in weight with a slowdown (or stop) in exercise, as well as with an illness or injury. Three times more women than men, however, linked the death of a family member to a weight gain. Although it is not surprising that 46 percent of women cited having children as a life event that led to weight gain, it may be surprising to note that 6 percent of men did, too. Finally, menopause was cited as a major time of weight gain for women.

FROM A WOMAN’S VIEWPOINT WHERE DID THE WEIGHT COME FROM?

Most women know that having a baby (or two or three or more) puts her in a weight-precarious situation.Women at a healthy weight are encouraged to gain about 25 pounds over the course of a pregnancy. Those who go into a pregnancy overweight are encouraged to gain a bit less, 15 to 25 pounds. While gaining the weight usually isn’t difficult for most women (and exceeding the recommended weight gain is not uncommon), taking off the excess weight once the baby is born can be a challenge. It’s hard for some women even to remember what they looked like or felt like before getting pregnant.

This is even truer if there are multiple babies over a few years, in which case the likelihood of returning to the pre-baby weight and shape doesn’t occur before a new one is on the way. In addition, the demands of the new baby often leave moms with little time or energy to put effort into their daily eating and exercise routines. Not surprisingly, many overweight women report that having a baby or babies and not taking off all the extra weight they gained while pregnant is one of the key factors leading to an ongoing battle with their weight.

After the baby years,women eventually face another challenge that for many is weight-related: menopause. While the typical weight gain at this time of life is 5 to 7 pounds, larger gains are not uncommon. In addition, the hormonal changes that come with menopause cause a change in body shape, with weight accumulating around the waist rather than on the hips and thighs. All of those changes can take a toll on a woman’s good humor, leading to negative feelings and overeating in response.

A study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that middle-aged women who reported high levels of symptoms indicative of depression and anxiety were more likely to experience greater amounts of weight gain.

FROM A MAN’S VIEWPOINT WHERE DID THE WEIGHT COME FROM?

Although some men, particularly athletes, might be asked to gain weight to enhance their physical performance, men typically do not find themselves in situations where there is a biological vulnerability to gaining weight. Hence, the tendency is that weight gain in men is a slower process. Forty-one percent of the men participating in a survey of Weight Watchers Online subscribers reported that they gained their weight slowly. The landscape of weight gain for men appears to be shifting, however, and the factor that separates the men from the boys is age. For guys who are part of or older than the baby boom generation, a weight gain related to smoking cessation is much more likely than it is for younger men.

Conversely, men in their twenties and thirties are significantly more likely than their elders to gain weight as a result of getting married, going away to college, starting a new job, and having children. When it comes to times in the life cycle when men gain weight, it appears that younger men have more in common with women than do older men. While there may be many reasons for that, such as fewer differences in the way gender roles are now defined by society, the news is not good for today’s young men insofar as weight is concerned.With the rates of overweight and obesity among men on the rise, it’s not good that they are putting on the pounds at a younger age than their fathers did.