Wellness: Balancing the scale

Why it's more difficult for women to lose weight than men, and how to work around it

Biology simply isn't working in our favor on this one. In the fight against obesity, men have a major advantage over women: They tend to have more muscle mass, while women often have more body fat. And muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, says Janet Anders, a registered dietitian with Fitness Plus in Cape Girardeau.

On top of that, Raina Childers, a registered dietitian with Healthpoint Plaza, says women also tend to use food as a coping mechanism for stress and emotions and they are generally the primary person who shops and prepares food -- putting them in more environments to eat, says Childers.

"Whether she picks up an impulse food in the check-out lane or she 'tastes' as she prepares the family meals, this can add up to extra calories in her day," says Childers. "I have found that women also feel guilty about taking time out of their day (and their many responsibilities) to exercise. That exercise is key to weight loss and even more to weight maintenance after loss."

With all of those disadvantages stacking up against easy weight loss, you may be struggling to find motivation. So here's how you balance the scale:

Diet right.

~That means choosing a diet that doesn't eliminate certain food groups because they're "bad" for you, says Anders, or diets that recommend bizarre quantities for "magical foods." The key, she says, is to look for an overall healthy diet program that fits your personality and needs.

He-llo, it's a life change.

~It's unrealistic, says Childers, to think you can lose weight without changing your habits for a lifetime. Seek the help of a registered dietitian and fitness expert to get you started on the right foot. "Changing your life is challenging, especially in the culture we live in. We all need help. If people could have lost weight on their own, they would have," says Childers.

WANT TO READ MORE? Check out the first issue of Flourish, Southeast Missouri's newest magazine for women, coming Aug. 2, 2010. Find out more about Flourish by emailing editor Callie Clark Miller at cmiller@semissourian.cm