Why Do Men Lose Weight Faster Than Women?

Muscle Mass Differences

One of the main reasons that men lose weight faster than women is due to the fact that men, overall, have larger amounts of muscle mass on their frames. Metabolically speaking, muscle tissue is very active and requires a lot of calories to maintain--much more than adipose, or fat, tissue does. As a result, men burn more calories than women do--even at rest--due to their larger amounts of metabolically-active muscle tissue. Muscle tissue, on average, burns roughly 10 to 15 calories per pound, per day, just to maintain itself. Men have a lot of calorie-burning muscle. Therefore, men generally lose weight faster than women do primarily because their bodies simply burn more calories.

Body Surface Area Differences

Men tend to be bigger, longer and taller than women, which means that men, overall, have larger body surface areas through which they lose body heat. This loss of body heat results in an increase in metabolism as men's bodies have to work harder to regulate body temperature, both in terms of cooling the body in hot weather and warming the body in cold weather. This body heat-related metabolic spike adds to men's ability to lose weight faster than women do; they simply burn more calories, which allows men to lose weight, even when caloric intake is restricted only minimally, quicker and easier than women.

Hormonal Differences

Men have higher levels of growth hormone (GH) and testosterone than do women. Growth hormone and testosterone have a huge impact on the rate and efficiency of body metabolism as well as on the rate and speed of fat loss. Higher testosterone and growth hormone levels are associated with increased muscle mass, metabolism and body fat loss. The fact that men naturally produce and synthesize more growth hormone and testosterone than do women is part of the reason why men lose weight faster than women.