Why women lose weight slower than men

samairablack

I have noticed with shows like biggest loser that women tend to lose weight a lot slower than men and a lot lesser too. Why is that? What is the reason and how do we eliminate this disadvantage?

Lourdesong

The Biggest Loser isn't a good gauge, the male contestants typically weigh 100's of pounds more than the female contestants.

RunsOnEspresso

Men tend to have more muscle mass than women and burn more calories at rest.

ETA: To answer your question - lift weights to build more muscle mass

stealthq

This, plus men are on average bigger so they can create a larger deficit. Plus a man who is similarly overweight as a woman will have significantly more muscle mass. More muscle means you burn more even at rest. For example, for a man you first start to see a six pack around 10% BF. On a woman it's usually just under 20% BF.

SanteMulberry

There are lots of hormonal reasons why obese women have a tougher issue with weight loss.

There is estrogen. Estrogen not only cuts the efficacy of thyroid hormone in the tissues but it blocks iodine uptake by the thyroid--a double whammy in terms of maintaining the metabolism while dieting.

There is leptin. Almost all obese women have leptin-resistance which puts them at a distinct disadvantage to men who do not have leptin-resistance. The reason why obese women tend to leptin-resistance is that all women have leptin levels that are 2 to 3 times higher than men AT THE SAME BODY FAT LEVEL. Obesity provokes leptin-resistance in obese women at a much higher rate than it does in obese men. Leptin-resistance precedes and predicts insulin-resistance if nothing is done to stop the progression.

But all is not depressing news. Even though women lose body fat more slowly, they may regain it less often because they know that they must thoroughly retrain their eating habits for life.

SanteMulberry

This, plus men are on average bigger so they can create a larger deficit. Plus a man who is similarly overweight as a woman will have significantly more muscle mass. More muscle means you burn more even at rest. For example, for a man you first start to see a six pack around 10% BF. On a woman it's usually just under 20% BF.

THIS TOO^^^ QFT

SanteMulberry

There are lots of hormonal reasons why obese women have a tougher issue with weight loss.

There is estrogen. Estrogen not only cuts the efficacy of thyroid hormone in the tissues but it blocks iodine uptake by the thyroid--a double whammy in terms of maintaining the metabolism while dieting.

There is leptin. Almost all obese women have leptin-resistance which puts them at a distinct disadvantage to men who do not have leptin-resistance. The reason why obese women tend to leptin-resistance is that all women have leptin levels that are 2 to 3 times higher than men AT THE SAME BODY FAT LEVEL. Obesity provokes leptin-resistance in obese women at a much higher rate than it does in obese men. Leptin-resistance precedes and predicts insulin-resistance if nothing is done to stop the progression.

But all is not depressing news. Even though women lose body fat more slowly, they may regain it less often because they know that they must thoroughly retrain their eating habits for life.

ETA: Plus estrogen LOOOVES body fat. To ensure that enough calories are available to nourish a fetus, estrogen stimulates appetite and stimulates fat deposition during surplus eating in order to store body fat for a "rainy day".