Why men are able to lose weight faster than women

Fact: Guy’s bodies are programmed to burn fat more efficiently

A collection of studies suggest we are programmed to approach food habits and limitations differently than women – arguably more sensibly, at earlier ages and not as a function of moods. Why might this be? We’re bigger and stronger. We tend to work out differently – e.g., we prioritize weight lifting over cardiovascular exercise, although neither should be done exclusively. We have different hormones. We have greater daily food intake needs. We often crave different kinds of food, and some of us, perhaps, by nature respond appropriately to those cravings. It would be a mistake to take any of this to an extreme, but in composite it suggests we have a fighting chance at this healthy eating business – advantages women lack.

“In general, we know that men tend to lose weight more easily than women because they [men] have more lean tissue, which is more metabolically active than fat,” says Carolyn H. Hollinghsead, Ph.D., RD of the College of Health’s Division of Foods and Nutrition (University of Utah). And a book published in 2002, “The Testosterone Advantage Plan” (by Lou Schuler, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and fitness director of Men’s Health magazine) postulates that because men’s bodies burn fat differently than women’s that in fact we may need to eat more fat.

Note that Schuler is speaking to individuals who are fairly serious about fitness and muscular development. It would be a stupid mistake to interpret that to mean “eat fat to gain muscle” if you weren’t engaged in a rigorous exercise regimen, and even then, it would require very careful measurement and balancing.

In more general terms, the differences between men and women – as well as exercisers and sedentary people, young and old, perhaps even as defined by ethnicity and race – are now being considered where it comes to nutrition. “I think we could do a better job of matching up the needs of individuals with the various weight-loss programs available,” says Hollingshead, who further suggests psychological factors probably have a strong role.

The physical differences between men and women are a curiosity to grade schoolers. It’s nice to see the world of dietary science and the media reporting on it are starting to acknowledge that fact as well.

What this tells us: Exercise to increase lean muscle mass so you can indulge in your natural cravings for fat (just don’t take that too far, and, learn the differences between smart and dumb fats – for more on that, see “Know the Difference Between Good and Bad Fats”).

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Excerpted from "A Guy's Gotta Eat, the regular guy's guide to eating smart," by Russ Klettke, with Deanna Conte, MS RD LD (Marlowe & Co./Da Capo Press 2004). Available where books are sold and in more than 100 public library systems in the U.S., Canada and Europe.