BY THE NUMBERS

Why Guys Diet Differently

Turns out, men and women aren't equal in the weight-loss game. Sigh.

By Kurt Soller | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Mar 5, 2009

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  • Posted By: Qidisrupt @ 03/24/2009 12:04:07 AM

    It is a medical fact that visceral fat....the fat around the old mid-section....is a major cause for many degenerative diseases. Subcutaneous fat is simply the fat under our skin and doesn't affect our health in this way. Healthy, nutrition- balanced and moderate portion meals....add moderate exercise daily....a great way to gain a healthy advantage for a lifetime is to look up mypyramid.gov....you can personalize your food plan.

  • Posted By: skinnyminny2 @ 03/19/2009 5:11:02 PM

    No need for rudeness--just because I think others are heavy doesn't make them any less nice, less bright or less kind but apparently others feel the need to strike at my level of intelligence. For the record, I know 5 languages and held a 3.8 GPA in college.

  • Posted By: xbronxchic @ 03/18/2009 8:32:53 PM

    Who cares what skinnyminny says? She was a model, and probably spent several years in a malnourished state, lowering her brain abilities somewhat. Let's just be glad she can concoct an entire sentence. America is full of fat people, or overly healthy, shall we say? If that makes us feel better about that extra 20 or 25 pounds, then let's call it that. Personally, I call my extra 15 "curves" - and anyone who wants to spend time with me better call it that too :)

  • Posted By: skinnyminny2 @ 03/11/2009 2:15:34 PM

    That's right I do think most people look fat to me. Sorry. I was a model once upon a time and saw only a few body types. Honestly, most people could stand to lose a few from my point of view but their weight is their business. I don't care what their weight is and only pipe up when articles like this come out.

  • Posted By: Disarm33 @ 03/09/2009 6:17:17 PM

    What a bunch of drivel. I've seen enough articles like this. "Men do this, women do that." Bleh, how about "people approach dieting in different ways, blah blah blah." It's true this article is sexist towards men by portraying them as stupid and clueless. On the other hand it's not so favorable towards women either. It makes them look overly emotional and insecure. Stereotypes and generalization don't get anyone anywhere. Who not just write an article about healthy dieting techniques?

    Oh, and @ usa_must_die, maybe some women think like that, but not the majority. Maybe it's because you attract only those types because smart and successful women are not going to be attracted to someone who think like you.

  • Posted By: skinnyminny2 @ 03/05/2009 9:05:59 PM

    If guys were so good at not eating problem foods, more of 'em would be anorexic. And anyway 90% of all people I see look fat to me. They got a looong way to go.

    • Posted By: miskaffon @ 03/08/2009 10:41:04 PM

      Sounds like YOU have a major problem. 90% of the population? I don't think so...far too many have issues yes, but not 90%- unless only skeletons look "healthy" to you....

      • Posted By: machio96 @ 03/09/2009 1:24:50 PM

        sounds like you don't know what hyperbole is mr. miskaffon, and even if 90% of people aren't fat, some of the fat ones are SO fat it makes it SEEM like 90% of the population is fat, since you can't help staring at these enormous people and don't notice all the skinny ones they're blocking

        • Posted By: cleoj @ 03/09/2009 5:08:02 PM

          machio- the only problem is that skinnyminny is not trying to use hyperbole. I think she honestly believes that. I've read enough of her comments on the boards to have an inkling that she really does believe 90% of the world is fat.

  • Posted By: Puppet0583 @ 03/09/2009 3:22:28 PM

    Oh, and I'll take my blue collar GORGEOUS husband with his six pack and big, strong, beautiful arms, to one of you flabby disgusting sissy white collars....

  • Posted By: usa_must_die @ 03/05/2009 11:37:28 PM

    Guys don't have to watch what they eat. As long as they have money they can have any woman they want. Women will always spread at the first sign of greenbacks.

    • Posted By: Puppet0583 @ 03/09/2009 3:18:04 PM

      You Bet We Will Baby, and You Guys Are Dumb Enough To Think We Love You For Your Looks.....

    • Posted By: Puppet0583 @ 03/09/2009 3:17:43 PM

      You Bet We Will Baby, and You Guys Are Dumb Enough To Think We Love You For Your Looks.....

    • Posted By: kristinecarlson @ 03/09/2009 2:18:02 PM

      You are a pig.

  • Posted By: JuanG @ 03/08/2009 2:39:39 PM

    Is it possible to write an article about men's dieting habits without being insulting and sexist? I'm tired of men being portrayed as nothing but stupid, mindless neanderthals who think about "nothing" or, at the very most, food and sex. We don't know anything about nutrition? We are comfortable being overweight? We diet and exercise only to compete with other men? What a bunch of groundless stereotypes. I know plenty of men who are diet and fitness conscious -- and they do it for themselves, because it makes them look good and feel good. I work out and try to eat healthfully, I have taken a course on nutrition, I do yoga and martial arts -- and I am a straight male. I do it for me. I have met plenty of women who are totally clueless about nutrition and health. I have met women who are morbidly obese and o.k. with it. I am called shallow if I don't find that attractive or healthy. So, instead of promoting b.s. stereotypes about men and women, how about actually providing some useful information about diet and fitness?

    • Posted By: machio96 @ 03/09/2009 1:15:10 PM

      come on now, if the media stops characterizing men as neanderthals, how am I supposed to justify thinking of women as walking bundles of sex that talk?

  • Posted By: michaelspsp @ 03/06/2009 3:40:26 PM

    to say all you have to do is cut calories to lose weight is stupid. and to say it doesnt matter what those calories are, is even stupider. if it were that easy, why are there so many people who cant lose weight? i have been helping people get in shape for 30+ years. there have been numerous studies which say the opposite of what this last study says, and life long evidence proves this last study is stupid

    • Posted By: weisberger @ 03/06/2009 6:10:05 PM

      michaelpsp - I agree that it is far more difficult to reduce calories if eating only twinkies vs a well rounded healthy diet - but that's because on a diet composed of simple carbs one would never get metabolically stable and there would the constant swing of blood sugar/insulin causing cravings and overeating. What the study is pointing out is that if one consumed 1200 calories of junk food or 1200 calories of fish and veggies, the daily caloric deficit leading to weight loss would be the same. But it is far more likely that one can maintain the healthy diet than the junk food one.

      • Posted By: michaelspsp @ 03/06/2009 7:01:08 PM

        thats exactly my point. you can't tell me that a person eating 1200 calories of skittles will lose weight the same as a person eating 1200 calories of steamed chicken and broccoli. the person eating skittles will gain fat, pure and simple. iive done diet and nutrition for over 30 years. i am friends with the best doctors in the world. its ridiculous to say calories dont matter. do you really think if you eat 100 calories of broccoli, your body responds the same as 100 calories of lucky charms?

        • Posted By: oneiricwhimsy @ 03/07/2009 7:11:29 AM

          someone eating 1200 calories of skittles per day will burn as basal metabolic rate (bmr) before it gets a chance to get stored as anything (glycogen or fat); same goes for the person eating 1200 calories of steamed chicken and broccoli. if you eat less than your bmr, nothing gets stored. which is why anorexics are still emaciated even if all they eat is two fun-size snicker bars per day. all that happens if you eat fewer calories of starchy junk vs. protein/fiber is that you don't get nutrients and you get insulin spikes and make yourself hungrier.

      • Posted By: michaelspsp @ 03/06/2009 6:26:32 PM

  • Posted By: michaelspsp @ 03/06/2009 6:32:45 PM

    thats my point, it isnt true. a person eating 1200 calories of skittles will gain fat while another person eating 1200 calories of chicken amd broccolli will lose fat. my good friend dr serranno said this best, " do you really think if you eat 100 calories of broccolli, you body reacts the same as it does when you eat 100 calories of lucky charms?" i can eat more protein calries and lose weight. i am very carb intolerant. i look at carbs , i gain weight. i have helped male and female bodybuilders win contests. what this study says, flys in the face of reality

  • Posted By: tbourlon @ 03/06/2009 10:15:08 AM

    Reduce men to the belief that they are nothing if they don't have Ken's body? (Or Brad's, or McConahey's?) Guys, like girls, who have those chiseled abs are either genetically gifted OR they don't eat. I've heard enough of the male models say that to believe it. Guys are better off not caring, in fact it would do us ladies good to not care so much.

    • Posted By: db64 @ 03/06/2009 3:29:36 PM

      tbourlon - Your comment that if you have six pack abs you must be either genetically gifted or eat nothing is just plain ignorant. There are those of us who practice portion control, eat healthy foods and get our butts to the gym and sweat, thus producing six pack abs. It's not easy but it's worth it. Perhaps if more people "cared" about their weight, we'd have a healthier nation.

  • Posted By: xwedge @ 03/06/2009 2:59:39 PM

    ABBOQ, you are right on the money. The mass media tends to bash waaay to many men nowadays. This article is probably sponsored by Oprah.

  • Posted By: abboq @ 03/06/2009 1:53:32 PM

    "The guys must be too busy thinking of something else???or nothing at all?" "But they are dumb when it comes to nutrition" - Citation please. You present no evidence to support these sexist, generalizing remarks. I was genuinely interested, until you resorted to stereotyping men as ignorant cave-dwellers, which is offensive, inaccurate, and tiring.

    You state, "Guys don't care as much," and then contradict that statement with, "Studies show that many men tend to diet for health reasons or health scares, rather than appearance." So is it that guys don't care as much, or that they care more about health reasons than superficial appearance?

    I'm sick of the popular media bashing men. It's not a replacement for responsible journalism or creative, original writing.

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