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According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 71% of American men are overweight, when classified by Body Mass Index (BMI). Though many of these men are only carrying around a few extra pounds, nearly 65% of all adult men are too heavy, and the proportion of obese males is growing. Clearly, weight loss is no longer for women only. She wants to be “thin”; he wants to “get in shape “and be ‘ripped.” She’ll eat salad and yogurt; he’ll swap buffalo wings and fries for grilled chicken and a baked potato. She approaches weight reduction as a lifetime struggle; his approach is a one-time, full-scale military offensive with expected victory in short order. She’s done in by snacks and sweets. He’s more likely to overeat buckets of fried chicken and pepperoni pizza. She’s fat, but he’s just a “big guy.” She’ll talk about her feelings and attend a weekly support group. He says, “I just made a bet to lose 20 pounds in a month. How do I do it?” In all fairness, most weight loss research has been done with women. There are far fewer studies dealing with males. Those studies do tell us that when men diet they lose more weight and they lose it faster. Men, even overweight men, start with more muscle than women and they lay down muscle faster. Women’s bodies tend to store fat to insulate and prepare to be a baby incubator. The Harvard Health Professionals Study, which tracked more than 50,000 men, cites 3 lifestyle factors that predict weight gain for men – less time exercising, more time watching TV, and eating between meals. A soup bowlful of ice cream, eaten in a recliner, in front of the TV waving the remote is not designed to make you trim. Men are also more likely to carry excess fat in the trunk and abdomen. A waist size of 40 or more creates health risks because belly fat releases substances that increase the incidence of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. It is more acceptable for a man to tell his buddies or business associates that he’s watching what he eats to lower his cholesterol or control his high blood pressure. Dieting may be wimpy but striving for health and fitness is manly. Aerobic exercise -- walking, jogging, and bike riding – helps to reduce abdominal fat. Lowering body weight by as little as 10% can improve health risks and increase activity both on the basketball court and in the bedroom. Overweight men have lower semen quality and higher rates of infertility. Sadly, many men don’t take weight loss seriously until they have been diagnosed with diabetes or had a heart attack. What they don’t realize is that making lifestyle changes before a catastrophe hits could prevent it from ever happening. Instead of focusing on dieting, guy-friendly weight loss programs need to focus on health and performance. On-line weight loss support programs are more inviting to men. Weight Watchers launched Online for Men in 2007 with access to male-only discussion boards, exercise videos, gear and gadget reviews, and meal suggestions including “foods guys actually want to eat.” Amazon.com features a section called Weight Loss: For Men Only. NutriSystem Advanced Men’s Program tells guys, “this isn’t your wife’s diet” and “we’re talking man food – burgers, pizza, pasta, chips.” Jenny Craig for Men highlights that weight loss will reduce the risk for many chronic health conditions, lessen joint and back pain, and help control sleep apnea. They even offer to fit in a moderate amount of alcohol into your weekly menu. When it comes to losing weight men have the advantage. They can eat more food and still lose weight, they lose weight faster, and when they trip up they are less likely to get derailed and feel guilty. A tough and rugged man can diet and do it successfully – he just doesn’t want to announce it to the world. © NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc. Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales in excess of 5 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller. Current titles include: The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008 The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008 The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Calorie Counter, 3rd Ed., 2007 The Calorie Counter, 4th Ed., 2007 The Compete Food Counter, 2nd Ed., 2006 For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to www.TheNutritionExperts.com. www.HealthNewsDigest.com Top of Page 
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