Hormonal
Women with obesity exhibit distinct physiological and psychological responses to weight management compared to men, including greater neural sensitivity to food rewards, higher baseline leptin levels, and a tendency toward peripheral (gluteo-femoral) fat distribution which offers metabolic protection until menopause.
If you are a woman with obesity, your body may respond differently to food and stress than a man's due to hormonal and neural factors. This is not a failure of willpower. Post-menopause, your fat distribution may shift to the abdomen, increasing health risks. Work with providers who assess your specific hormonal status and mental relationship with food, rather than just applying a generic 'calories in, calories out' model.
Females differ regarding fat distribution, with males tending to store more visceral fat... women are more likely to be diagnosed with obesity and appear more motivated to lose weight... males show better outcomes in terms of body weight and intra-abdominal fat loss... female brain presents increased POMC neuronal fibers... leptin concentrations are four times higher in women... women having greater fat mass and a relatively more peripheral distribution of adiposity.
Why this rating
The paper is a comprehensive review citing multiple GWAS, neuroimaging studies, and clinical trials, providing strong observational and mechanistic evidence.
Source
Female obesity: clinical and psychological assessment toward the best treatment
Valeria Guglielmi et al. · Frontiers in Endocrinology · 2024
DOI 10.3389/fendo.2024.1349794
More from this paper
- Bariatric surgery (specifically Sleeve Gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass) is an effective treatment for severe obesity and can lead to remission of Type 2 Diabetes, particularly in patients with a short disease duration.Strong
- Post-menopausal women face a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic complications due to the shift from protective gluteo-femoral fat to visceral, perivascular, and epicardial fat accumulation following estrogen decline.Good
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