Weight Loss: Women can lose weight faster than men, know the science behind it..

Due to today's changing lifestyle, obesity has become a common problem. For this reason, people have become more aware of fitness and are also making efforts to lose weight. But have you ever noticed how men and women differ in the process of weight loss? The common belief is that men have a faster metabolism, so they can lose weight faster. But research published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2023 does not agree with this thinking. In this research, it has been claimed that under certain circumstances, women can lose weight faster than men. Let us know the reason for this.

How was this study?

This study was conducted by scientists from Britain and Australia and published in the Journal of Nutrition. It included 2,500 men and women between the ages of 18 and 55. The participants were put on a controlled diet and exercise routine for 12 weeks, which included a 1500 to 1800 calorie diet daily and 150 minutes of exercise every week. Within the first 8 weeks, women lost an average of 5.2 kg of weight, while men could only lose 4.7 kg. Women lost 10% more fat than men. However, by the end of 12 weeks, men's fat loss process accelerated due to increased muscle mass. Researchers have attributed this difference to hormonal, biological, and behavioral reasons.

The effect of hormones and fat fat-burning process

A woman's body contains hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which affect fat storage and distribution. Research revealed that women's bodies were more efficient in the process of converting fat into energy while exercising. Women burned 15% more fat, while men mainly reduced carbohydrates. It was also found that the presence of estrogen accelerates lipolysis (fat breakdown), while testosterone causes faster muscle build-up in men, which can slow down fat loss.

Difference in metabolic rate

Due to more muscle in men's bodies, their basal metabolic rate (BMR) is higher than that of women. That is, they burn more calories even at rest. In this study, the average BMR of men was 1800 calories, while that of women was 1500 calories. But women focused more on their diet and exercise, which led to better results. Also, women's bodies were found to be able to burn fat even on fewer calories, which was considered to be the effect of their hormonal structure.

More discipline in women

The research also found that women are more disciplined about their diet than men. 70% of women said that they pay attention to calories and nutrition, prefer to eat in smaller portions, while men have less ability to control hunger. Men ate outside food 3 times a week on average, while women ate only 1.5 times. Along with this, women were also found to be more mentally stable and focused, which made their weight loss journey easier.

What were the main findings?

The research concluded that a woman's body is more effective in the process of converting fat into energy. For example, in a 45-minute brisk walk, women burned an average of 200 calories, of which 60% were from fat. On the other hand, men burned 220 calories, but only 40% of them were from fat.

That is, in the initial stages, women can lose fat faster than men. However, according to researcher Dr. Emma Steel, the process of weight loss can sometimes be interrupted due to hormonal changes in women, like periods, pregnancy, and menopause.

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