In this year’s series of The Biggest Loser, the men have dominated the weekly weigh-ins with the women only topping the leaderboard two times compared to nine times for the men. So does weight loss seem to be weighted in favour of men?
The UK’s University of Surrey studied 300 individuals involved in diet trials for six months. Thirteen out of the 20 most successful dieters were men, losing twice as much weight as the women.
While it seems that men may lose the weight quicker than women, that’s not to say women can’t lose as much – it just takes a little longer, and with good reason.
This week we take a look at both the physical and psychological factors that differ between genders when trying to lose weight.
Body composition
One reason why men seem to drop the kilos faster comes down to body composition. Women have a higher percentage of body fat compared with men, which is partly due to hormones.
University of New South Wales (UNSW) research published in Obesity Reviews suggests that the female sex hormone oestrogen helps lay down and store fat for childbearing, which is essential to provide the concentrated calories needed to nourish the unborn baby and for breastfeeding afterwards. In fact, a certain amount of body fat is a must simply to ovulate, meaning that on average women have 6-11% more body fat than men.
Weighted areas
A man’s excess weight is more likely to be concentrated around the belly area, so initial weight loss may be easier to notice than a woman’s.
Excess body fat in women tends to be distributed across the hips, thighs, waist, bust and arms, so weight loss appears to be more gradual and less noticeable. A good motivator for women is to take measurements in order to chart your changing shape.
Muscle factor
The dominant hormone in men is testosterone which, amongst other things, is the hormone that's responsible for controlling the rate at which your body builds muscle. Since muscle requires calories (energy) to exist, those with more muscle burn calories faster, causing a faster and larger weight loss.
Eating habits
In general, women may respond to strong emotions by using food as a source of comfort more frequently than men. On the other hand, men are more prone to irregular eating patterns and often act as the ‘hoover’ of the family, eating all the leftovers! Both habits can lead to weight gain and are big weight-loss hurdles for each gender.
Admitting it
When it comes to addressing weight issues, women are better at recognising that things need to change, whereas men are more likely to be in denial about their weight.
The Australian National Health Study showed that only 50% of men who are overweight recognise that they have a problem, whereas 75% of women acknowledged their weight issues. This gives females a great advantage in the weight-loss stakes.
So who's the weight-loss winner?
In short, neither! When it comes down to the nitty gritty, both genders need to understand the basics of weight management, which is the ‘energy in, energy out’ equation. However, how that principle is applied varies between men and women.
Everyone is different and there is no one specific diet that suits all. Weight loss is a challenge, no matter what your gender. Success is about achieving your specific weight-loss goals, not doing it faster or more easily than the opposite sex. With the right support and attitude everyone will reach their goals, but the journey to that goal will be very different for each individual.