Weight Loss: Understanding the Characteristics of Female Fat for Easier and More Successful Scientific Fat Reduction

Why Do Women Carry Genes for Obesity?

Women are more prone to producing fat cells than men, and the reason can be traced back to the social role of women in prehistoric times. At that time, women's primary task was to increase the population through childbirth, while men's primary responsibility was to provide food for women and children.

We can say that women performed their primary task much better than men. They often experienced periods of hunger and satiety because when men went hunting, they were often away for days, leaving little food for them. Women had to rely on body fat to prevent themselves and their unborn children from starving. Because women needed fat to support them through pregnancy and lactation, their bodies—due to the conditions of the time—had to be prone to storing fat.

"Men's fat cells grow only to protect one person—the male master—from starvation during famines. Women's fat cells, on the other hand, grow for the sake of two lives—themselves and the unborn child within them," said Deborah Waterhouse, a nutritionist in San Francisco. She once wrote a book titled *Outsmarting Women's Fat Cells*, in which she stated, "The stronger a woman's fat storage capacity, the greater her chances of survival, and indeed, of humanity as a whole. In fact, it is precisely because women's fat cells possess such a 'storage capacity' that we can discuss this issue here today."

Today, we no longer experience days or even months without food as prehistoric women did, and therefore are not as dependent on fat as they were. However, our bodies may not have adapted to these new living conditions; women still have nearly 8% more body fat than men. At any given time, women have 120,000 more calories than men, stored as fat. Compared to men, women face a greater challenge in controlling their body fat.

Women's Consultation

Why is my excess fat glued to my thighs like it's been soaked in oil, while my husband can lose his belly fat in just a few weeks?

Women have long been bothered by this unfair phenomenon. While some men also have thick thighs, waists, and hips with stubborn fat, this is far more common among women. Men should even be condemned for this.

In the Stone Age, women often spent long periods waiting for men to return from hunting. During this time, their bodies developed an enhanced ability to store fat. Don't assume that women back then were as obsessed with being slim and beautiful as modern women; for them, it was an unrealistic and extravagant demand. Their primary duty was reproduction.

Although times have changed, women still struggle to get rid of excess fat. Since we are naturally destined to easily store fat, we naturally need to spend more effort and time to get rid of it. In fact, fat stored in the lower limbs is harder to lose than fat located in the upper limbs and abdomen. This is because fat in the upper limbs is easier to break down. Abdominal fat is easier to gain and easier to lose. Once excess fat accumulates in the body, it is easily stored in the abdomen, but when the body experiences a calorie shortage, this fat will inevitably be consumed first.

Because men are more likely to accumulate excess fat in their abdomen, they naturally lose it more easily, which is why your husband's large belly shrinks quickly.

However, these fat problems also have an advantage for women. Since women store fat out of necessity, their bodies store fat not only more quickly but also more safely than men's. Studies have found that the distribution of fat above the waist is closely related to several diseases caused by extreme obesity, including common conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

If this isn't enough to reassure you, remember that exercise will also help improve the lines of your legs and make your muscles strong and toned. If you really need someone to vent your frustrations on, blame the ancient cave dwellers; they went astray in their development.

Dr. Ellen Paham, Professor of Nutrition, Northern Illinois University: Women gain weight during pregnancy to ensure they provide sufficient nutrition for the fetus. This weight gain during pregnancy and postpartum manifests as a heavier uterus (2-24 ounces), larger breasts, and about 4 pounds more blood. In addition, women gain 8-10 pounds of fat (mostly newly formed fat cells) and other fluids.

Dr. Joan Hilantano, Professor of Nutrition at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, says, "Pregnant women effectively store a large amount of fat because they need this fat to ensure the newborn's nutritional needs for six months to a year after birth."

Women generally have less muscle mass than men. And one pound of muscle burns 30-50 more calories than the same amount of fat. Meanwhile, men have a faster metabolism, making it easier for them to burn fat than women.

Women's hormone estrogen makes their fat cells almost unaffected by dieting, especially those in the hips, waist, and thighs. Some theories suggest that estrogen in fat activates and increases enzymes that promote fat storage. Waterhouse believes that "estrogen is a woman's best friend; it helps her maintain a pear-shaped figure and maintain reproductive function." Scientific evidence demonstrates estrogen's role in promoting fat production: when men are injected with estrogen, their lower limbs quickly gain weight, and this added weight is difficult to lose.

Fat shapes the female body.

Because women's lower limbs are more prone to storing fat, pregnant women tend to concentrate fat in their thighs, hips, and waist. This fat gives women a pear-shaped body—slender shoulders and full hips.

On the other hand, other women and most men tend to concentrate their fat in the abdomen, giving them an apple-shaped body. Unlike fat in the thighs and buttocks, abdominal fat (also known as visceral fat) is a "hard fat" that doesn't feel soft or loose to the touch. Dr. Hilantano says, "Visceral fat is often associated with conditions such as blood sugar disorders, adult-onset diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease."

While apple-shaped women are more prone to these conditions, they also have an advantage over pear-shaped women: they lose weight more easily. Abdominal fat metabolizes faster than fat in the buttocks or thighs. Dr. Jill Canare, professor of exercise physiology at the University of Hiraj, says, "They accumulate faster than fat in the legs and buttocks, but they also dissipate more easily." Typically, body fat decreases gradually in the order of breasts, then abdomen, followed by thighs, waist, and buttocks.