Weight 'n' Watch

Men lose weight faster. But women, don't lose heart…says well-known dietician Anjali Mukherji.

When it comes to losing weight, women stand at a disadvantage compared to men. Research studies show that women tend to accumulate fat quicker than men and take even longer to lose it. This confirms what many women long suspected. "My husband eats so much and does not put on an ounce" is what they tell me. Some say, "I look at food and I put on weight".

Although, as infants, boys and girls weigh more or less the same, i.e body fat totaling up to 12% of body weight, it is only after puberty that women start putting on weight. During puberty girls get fatter and boys become leaner. By the age of 18, girls have 20-25% body fat and boys have 15-18%. By middle age both sexes have 35-40% fat.

I have often been asked, "My husband and I both, follow the same health program and food-plan, but why does he lose weight faster than I do?

Women are designed to carry extra weight, especially during pregnancy. She has to be able to cater to the additional supplies of nutrition to her baby even if sufficient food is not available to her.

Women have a lower resting metabolism than men. This means that they burn fewer calories to maintain basic functions like respiration, digestion, and elimination, than men do. The difference is quite significant.

A small-framed woman may need only 1000 calories to maintain normal body functions, whereas a woman with a large frame would need about 1600 calories. On the other hand, men need anywhere between 1400-2000 calories to carry out normal bodily functions.

Men and women tend to put on weight in different areas of the body. In Men, the fat is usually stored around their bellies, where as in women, fat accumulation is on their hips and thighs.

Research indicates that fat accumulated on the hips and thighs is difficult to lose. This is because the hormones in a woman's body favour fat deposits in the hip and thigh region, and induce burning only during breast-feeding.

Breast-feeding burns approximately 800 calories a day, allowing the fat deposits on the hips and thighs to be converted into energy to fuel milk production. Men have an apple shaped body with a large waist : hip ratio that increases the risk of heart diseases and diabetes.

Conversely, women have a pear-shaped body with less fat deposits around the abdomen & more around the hips. Such bodies, even if obese, do not stand a high risk for heart disease. This proves that two people with the same amount of body fat have different health risks. Since excess fat in women is a part of the cosmic plan, they can gain weight even with healthy eating practices. Where as, fat in men was never meant to be. Most men gain weight as a consequence of a rich diet and a lack of physical activity.

As a result, obesity in men is associated with a greater likelihood of health problems than obesity in women. Obese men have higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures and higher levels of cholesterol & triglycerides. A point to note here is that women who have male type fat distribution (apple shaped bodies) share the same health risks as men.

Men lose weight faster because abdominal fat is easy to burn. This also explains why women who put on considerable weight during pregnancy have a harder time losing it after childbirth.


As mentioned earlier, breast-feeding is an excellent way of losing weight around hips and thighs. All this obviously means that women who are counting calories, spending hours working out, keeping a watch on their diets are still likely to put on a little weight or lose any excess weight very slowly. This is a cause of confusion and frustration in many women. But don't lose hope.

There are ways and means of achieving weight loss by changing the composition of your diet. It is possible to lose undesired fat without much effort. What I am talking about is a lifetime commitment to health and optimum weight.

Ask your doctor or nutritionist for a health-based food plan. It should be one that works with your nutritional and physical needs, not against it. This way, you will be able to not only lose weight and maintain it, but also be able to work effortlessly for a longer duration. Women indeed lose weight slower than men, but that does not mean they cannot regain their youthful figure and good health. Using the right method is the key.