Obese Men Worse Hit That Women

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Obese men may be in worse shape than obese women when it comes to

fitness and metabolism, Dutch scientists say.

They studied 22 men and 34 women who were severely overweight and

said the men had lower physical stamina and were less able to process

carbohydrates.

 

When added together, these factors can push a person into full-blown

diabetes with time, they told the journal Chest.

 

Diabetes experts said being obese raises the risk of diabetes by 80

times - regardless of gender.

 

Sex differences

 

Dr Emile Dubois and colleagues at the Hospital Reinier de Graaf Groep

asked the 22 men and 34 women to perform a series of exercise tests.

 

It is possible that women are better equipped for energy storage

due to their inherent need to feed their offspring

 

Study co-author Dr Dave Schweitzer

 

Each had a body mass index - a standard measure of body weight in

relation to height, calculated by dividing weight in kg by the height

in metres squared - of 40.

 

A healthy BMI is between 20 and 25. One of 30 or above is considered

obese.

 

The team also looked at each individual's ability to metabolise the

sugars found in carbohydrates.

 

An inability to tolerate carbohydrates can be an early marker of

metabolic syndrome - a group of medical conditions including obesity,

diabetes and high blood pressure that can lead to heart disease.

 

Overall, 59% of the men had overt diabetes or were carbohydrate

intolerant compared to 35% of the women.

 

The women also performed better on exercise endurance tests and had

better lung function than the men.

 

Body shapes

 

The researchers said their findings might be explained by the

different distribution of body fat in men, who store it in the upper

body, compared to women, who store it lower down on their hips and

bottom.

 

Co-author Dr Dave Schweitzer said: " It is possible that women are

better equipped for energy storage due to their inherent need to feed

their offspring.

 

" When food is abundant, such as in modern society, both genders may

become obese, but men simply do not have the reserve capacity to

handle excess food, which puts extra stress on their bodies, causing

decreased performance and, possibly, illness. "

 

Simon O'Neill, Care Advisor at Diabetes UK, said: " This is

interesting research that may help us to understand why people

develop insulin resistance, which is often a precursor to Type 2

diabetes.

 

" But no matter what your gender, if you are obese, you are up to 80

times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.

 

" It is never too late to start eating a healthy, balanced diet and

taking part in regular physical activity. "

 

In the UK, more men (65%) than women (55%) are overweight or obese.

 

Experts fear three quarters of men will be overweight within five

years.