Why Women Store More Body Fat Than Men
Until Menopause & Estrogen Reduction
Body Fat in Women
Women Naturally Have More Fat Than Men
Women carry more fat than men. The average
woman's body weight is about 27 percent fat, while the average man has
only 15 percent body fat. There are many biological reasons for this differential
in body fat, although as with most basic body-programming, these reasons
date from an earlier age when having a lean body was less preferable in
survival terms than a body with surplus fat.
Women's Body Fat Attracts Men
Studies show that added body fat on the
breasts, hips and thighs helps to raise the attractiveness of women in
men's eyes and reveals female maturity. Less so today perhaps with our
cult of thinness and unisex body shapes, but still relevant.
Women's Body Fat and Procreation
Without sufficient body fat, a woman cannot
ovulate, menstruate or have children. The danger zone begins when her
body fat percentage drops to 17 percent or below, although this can vary
from body to body. The equivalent BMI rating is about 18 or below.
Women's Body Fat is Protection and a Source
of Energy
Women tend to store fat in their pelvic
region, around their hips and thighs. Not only does this fat help to protect
vital reproductive organs, it also acts as a source of stored energy for
pregnancy and breast-feeding. Interestingly, although both genders develop
an increased appetite for dietary fat after puberty, girls develop this
desire for fat at a much younger age than boys. (World Health Organization)
Women's Body Fat and Middle Age - Hormones,
Weight and Fat
As women enter the menopause they produce
less estrogen. This leads to a change in body shape and fat distribution.
During fertile life, the female hormones estrogen and progesterone are
responsible for maintaining the female shape, with it's narrow waist and
rounded hips. During and after menopause, the female waist thickens and
fat is deposited on the front of the abdomen (stomach area) rather like
the male body. In addition, as in men, the metabolic rate slows and fewer
calories are required. So if a woman continues to eat normally (without
increasing exercise), weight and fat gain are inevitable. |
|
|
com