New Study Shows Women and Men Benefit Differently from Exercise and Diet

More than two thirds of Americans are obese. This often results in type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and other health related problems.  Health professionals suggest diet and exercise as the solution to this issue. A research study at the University of Missouri suggested that the diet and exercise that benefits men may not have the same results for women. Women may need a plan that is specific to their gender.

Women have a higher body fat proportion than men.  A woman’s fat percentage is 24 % on average, compared to a man at 14 %. A women’s body will accumulate more fat in order to adequately support pregnancy and child birth. The amount of lean muscle is lower in women on average, compared to the lean muscle mass in a man. These two factors influence the fact that women on average will have to burn more calories to reduce fat calories than men.

Men burn approximately 20 % more calories than a woman with any physical activity due to the larger muscle mass they have. A woman must do more physical activity to lose as many calories as a man. With aging a man’s metabolism slows down and things began to even out. Weight loss becomes more of a challenge for both men and women with aging.

“Our results indicate gender may contribute to differences in cardiovascular function of obese individuals with Type 2 diabetes,” said Jill Kanaley, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at MU. “Men saw improvement after aerobic exercise training, but the women did not experience the same benefits.”[1]

The study monitored 75 obese men and women with type II diabetes and included a 16 week walking program. Obese women with Type 2 diabetes might benefit from longer durations or higher intensities of exercise according to the study. The study findings are important because there are high mortality rates with Type 2 diabetes, especially for women. Knowing what kind of diet works best for women would be extremely important, along with monitoring caloric intake at a rate that would give them the nutrition they need while allowing them to lose weight. More studies will be needed in the future to make sure that men and women are able to achieve weight loss and to get the proper exercise that they need to achieve their goals.