Fat distribution in men and women
Keto Diet

How Hormones Affect Fat Distribution

Girls don’t have beer bellies, have you ever wondered why? Some people want to slim their bellies and reduce visceral fat; some want to slim their waists and hips, and some want to slim their thighs. What exactly are the factors that affect the distribution of fat?

Genes, Gender, and Hormones Determine Our Fat Distribution.

Men and women have very different fat distribution patterns, which are influenced by testosterone and estrogen. If life is chronically stressful, the body produces too much cortisol, which also affects the distribution of fat. So we can divide obesity into three types:

  • Male obesity (upper body obesity)
  • Female obesity (lower body obesity)
  • Abdominal obesity (more visceral fat)

As we get older body fat and visceral fat become more, also related to hormones. In men, over the age of 50, androgens decline, estrogens rise, and body fat increases 1.5 times. In women, after menopause, the risk of body fat increases by an average of 1.7 times due to the loss of estrogen protection.

Normally, for adults, the body fat percentage should be less than 20% for men and less than 28% for women. Above this standard, you need to take this fat loss thing seriously!

fat deposition in the body

Male Fat is Related to Estrogen

Most obesity problems in men are found in the upper body, especially in the abdomen and chest. The so-called beer belly, also known as “androgenic fat”, is not because you drink a lot of beer, but because men’s fat tends to accumulate in the abdomen, combined with a chronically unbalanced diet and excessive caloric intake. Chronic overproduction of stress hormones (cortisol) also falls into this type of obesity.

Fat cells themselves secrete estrogen. The more fat there is, the higher the estrogen. Testosterone concentrations in men peak between the ages of 25 and 30 and decline by an average of about 1% per year after age 30. The more adipose tissue in the body, the more estrogen is secreted, which suppresses testosterone and leads to an imbalance in secretion. Gynecomastia can often be seen in many boys with high body fat. This is why weight loss in men usually requires overcoming increased estrogen.

The reduction of estrogen in the body can be achieved through the intake of zinc and magnesium ingots, along with diet control, fitness training, and other exercises. When body fat is reduced, estrogen is also reduced, so it is much easier for guys to lose fat if they are determined to do so.

Female Obesity is Related to Testosterone

Contrary to men, girls tend to accumulate fat in the lower body, waist, buttocks, and other parts, so some people also call this “female fat”. Although this kind of fat does not cause too much cardiovascular risk, if it accumulates too much, it will cause hyperinsulinemia, and hyperinsulinemia will make the ovaries increase the production of testosterone, so many girls with polycystic ovary syndrome often have characteristics such as hairy, acne, and not easy to conceive.

When women lose estrogen protection during menopause, fat accumulates faster and they become an hourglass shape with “fat on top and fat on the bottom”.

Women after menopause, because the muscle is already less than the male, will accelerate the fat accumulation into a vicious circle. So girls should start going to the gym to exercise their muscles!

How to Lose Fat With Different Body Fat Distribution

How to Lose Fat With Different Body Fat Distribution?

In addition to diet control, many people want to do muscle building and fat loss, but don’t know how to start. If you are overweight, you should not force yourself to exercise intensely. It is recommended that you start with your diet and pair it with a brisk walk, a skid steer, or simple plyometric training equipment, which will not cause stress and injury to your knee joints.

Apple Shape Needs to Pay Attention to Diet

Apple shape is mainly due to the fat accumulation caused by too much triglyceride, this type of obesity is the easiest to solve. Such people should eat more food rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as peanut oil, olive oil, or nuts, to control the intake of carbohydrates, and to supplement the body with food rich in minerals and vitamins, thereby reducing cholesterol and insulin. A little bit of strength training and cardio is very easy to eliminate.

Pear Shape Needs to Exercise the Lower Body Muscles

Women tend to accumulate fat in the hips and thighs, even though their overall body fat percentage is normal, but the hips and thighs are just more obvious. These people choose complex carbohydrates, such as green leafy vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and soy products, which can break down the excess fat in the body.

In addition to diet control, it is recommended to combine plyometric training and stretching to stimulate nerve conduction and blood circulation. Girls should do some deep squats and hard lifts, and glute bridges so that the lower body is concave and convex since it is obvious to make them obvious to look good. The glute bridge can directly stimulate the gluteus maximus, which is one of the excellent training movements for the buttocks. It can stabilize the core and exercise the deep back muscles, which can prevent back pain and improve intervertebral disc problems. The amount of muscle in the thighs and hips, when doing strength training can also exercise to some cardio and increase basal metabolism.

Hourglass Figure Needs to Prevent Cardiovascular Problems

This is a combination of Apple Shape and Pear Shape, which is usually caused by the fat distribution of Pear Shape and the accumulation of fat in the upper body after menopause, often with high body fat and visceral fat, which makes it easy to have cardiovascular problems. Follow the Apple Shape diet to reduce the overall fat mass first, and with Pear Shape exercise to maintain their basal metabolism and increase muscle mass.

Conclusion

People with different body shapes should choose different diets to lose weight, do a good job of matching coarse and fine, and try not to eat foods that are too delicate. Eating more food rich in coarse fiber, not only can give a sense of satiety but while reducing the intake of other staple foods to prevent fat accumulation. You cannot be sedentary for a long time, stay away from high-fat foods, eat a light diet, do not eat any food three hours before bedtime, and if hunger is unbearable, you may want to drink a glass of low-fat milk.