Why Women Need To Diet Differently Than Men
All you have to do is look at women and men as they age to see that there is a difference in how females and males carry weight, gain weight, and lose weight. What are the reasons that cause men and women to be so different?
Fat Metabolism And Storage Is Different
Men generally tend to store a lower percentage of fat than woman. Moreover, men tend to store more fat in the abdominal region while women store more fat in the lower body.
The fat in the abdominal area is easier to metabolize than fat in the lower body area, such as hips and thighs. Moreover, receptors that promote the storage of fat are found less in the abdominal area and more in the hips and thighs of women. Combined, this means that men usually have an easier time burning off fat and keeping fat from storing on their body.
“Women also tend to have more fat-storage alpha receptors than fat-breakdown beta receptors in the hips and thighs, so that storage exceeds breakdown in these areas, causing swelling of the stored fat within cells.” – Life Extension
Men Have More Overall Mass
Men have more muscle on their body, which means that they can get away with eating more calories than women can, because their muscles require more energy.
“Even if they were the same height and weight, the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) approximate that the man burns about 400 calories more per day than the woman.” – Ace Fitness
Men also have more mass to them, which means that they are usually bigger framed than women and need more calories to support their size. Moreover, they often carry their weight better than women do.
In essence, the reason why women need to diet differently than men is because they need to eat in a way that doesn’t promote fat storage and, instead, promotes fat burn, whereas men have an easier time keeping the fat off their body and burning off the fat that they consume.
How About Nutrients?
So, we understand that men and women process fat and calories differently, but when it comes to nutrients do men and women require different things? Not as much as you would think.
Women need to include more iron in their diet than men do. This is due to menstruation and the loss of iron that occurs during it each month. After menopause, iron requirements in the diet are the same.
Calcium is another important nutrient for women, as it may help lower the risk of osteoporosis – a disease that is less common in men. Some studies suggest that too much calcium in the diet can be harmful for men as it has been linked to prostate cancer; however, experts urge men to get enough calcium in their diet as an osteoporosis-related issue is possible.
“The results of some but not all studies suggest that a high intake of calcium may increase the risk of prostate cancer.” – National Cancer Institute
As both women and men age, their metabolic rates start to slow down and their diet needs to become more nutrient dense to prevent issues such as bone loss, muscle loss, and health problems. Of course, overall the diets and exercise regimes can be similar but for optimal results its good to focus on a gender specific like the Beta Switch diet offers women.
A Healthy Diet Should Be The Focus
While men and women need to diet differently for weight maintenance and weight loss, a healthy and safe diet should always be the focus.
A healthy diet includes eating smaller portions and including healthy foods, such as vegetables, protein, whole grains, and fruits in the diet.
It also includes avoiding high-fat and high-sugar foods, which are dangerous to both men and women and can cause issues such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiac disease.