Hormonal
Premenopausal women exhibit sex-specific fat distribution characterized by preferential subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) storage and higher brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity, which provides metabolic protection against visceral obesity and cardiovascular disease compared to men.
If you are a premenopausal woman, your body naturally stores fat in your hips and thighs (subcutaneous) rather than around your organs (visceral), and you likely have more active brown fat for energy burning. This is a biological advantage for metabolic health. Do not equate higher total body fat with higher health risk compared to men; your distribution pattern is protective.
Therefore, females tend to store meal-derived FFA in the subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in contrast to males, who preferably store meal-derived FFA in VAT... increased gluteofemoral SAT has also been associated with a lower level of arterial calcifications and stiffness as well as improved lipid levels, implying atherosclerosis protection.
Why this rating
Based on a narrative review citing multiple human and animal studies.
Source
Sex- and Gender-Related Differences in Obesity: From Pathophysiological Mechanisms to Clinical Implications
Andrijana Koceva et al. · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2024
DOI 10.3390/ijms25137342
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