Do Men Lose Weight More Easily Than Women?

Do men lose weight more easily than women? -- Marie, Phoenix, Ariz.

There are a lot of cliches about men -- they're slobs; they love meat; they're mesmerized by bright, shiny objects. I won't comment on any of these. But there is one true statement about those with a Y chromosome: They have an easier time shedding pounds.

Men are born with greater muscle mass and less fat than women. Although there's no exact standard, it's generally accepted that a healthy man should carry between 12 and 20 percent body fat, whereas a healthy woman should carry between 16 and 30 percent body fat. Since muscle is more metabolically active than fat, that means men have a head start in the calorie-burning department, even when they are simply plopped on the couch channel surfing. (Note: The American College of Sports Medicine now judges body fat percentage on a scale of above average to below average based on age and sex; you can learn more about these guidelines here.)

Men also have more testosterone, a hormone that just loves to churn through calories and body fat. Women, on the other hand, have more estrogen, a hormone that is programmed to store body fat in order to help women get pregnant and support breastfeeding. This means men have a metabolism that is approximately five to 10 percent higher than that of a woman of the same height and weight.

Back to channel surfing: it seems that women tend to do more of it. One study reported in the American Journal of Physiology found that women burn off 16 percent fewer calories doing daily activities than men, meaning they move less and engage in more sedentary pastimes. And when they do exercise, the study found that their burn rate was 37 percent lower on average than men. There are many reasons for this: Women tend to weigh less, have less muscle and a smaller lung capacity, and move more slowly compared to male exercisers.

Also, it would be hard to argue that men seem to have fewer psychological bonds to food, weight and body image. Even the most secure woman tends to spend a lot of time obsessing about what she's going to eat, not going to eat, the size of her thighs, dieting, pudding, losing weight, gaining weight, fitting into that dress -- the list goes on. As a result, she's constantly falling on and off the wagon, which is likely to further mess with her metabolism and make it even more challenging to lose weight.

I don't have any studies to prove it, but it has been my observation that men typically don't suffer as much from the same issues. They are usually more at peace with their mushy bellies and tight jeans and seem to experience no guilt after consuming a piece of cake. And when they decide to lose weight, they seem to be able to just flip a switch without a lot of pain and agony.

But perhaps I've slipped back into cliches? Maybe women are more secure than I think, and men are secretly counting calories and checking out their butts in the mirror every chance they get. You tell me. Post your comments here. Don't get personal but don't hold back. Or tweet me.

While you're at it, you can learn more about weight loss groups for men and how to choose a weight loss program in general.