Whether it’s easier for men to lose weight depends on the individual. Making the mindset shifts, lifestyle changes, and nutritional decisions required to lose weight is difficult for almost everyone. There are also hereditary factors and individual health challenges that make losing weight difficult.
The Biological Advantage
Genetically speaking, men tend to lose weight much faster than women. This is due to the biological fact that men have more muscle mass than women. You may have heard it said that women have more fat or “water weight” than men. This refers to men’s bodies having more lean muscle and women’s bodies having more fat. Fat stores more water, and muscle burns more fat. The average woman has about 50% water weight, while the average man has around 60% water weight.
Katherine Tallmadge, registered dietitian and author, estimates that even while resting, every additional pound of muscle burns 35 to 50 calories more. In terms of pounds, this means a man can lose as much as 2 times the weight a woman loses per week. This is all relative, though, as even men with weight to lose will plateau.
The Age Factor
What both men and women have in common is that muscle mass declines as we age. So, it’s more challenging for everyone to lose weight after their 40s.
In addition to lean muscle mass, there are other factors that may make losing weight more difficult for men. This is one of many reasons GLP-1 for men is increasingly popular.
