The Science is Encouraging

Over the years the needle on my bathroom scale has risen faster than my investment portfolio (not a high standard, to be sure). The nagging from my doctor has also increased--he’s a fit runner, and he’s entitled--so will next year finally be the time that I get serious about shedding the pounds and getting in shape?

I can take comfort in the example set by female acquaintances who, later in life, look better than ever. And research has shown that successful dieting is easier for guys.

In general, men want to keep it simple. They don't want to get tangled in the minutiae. The basic male approach is: just tell me what to eat.

"Women could probably learn some things from them," said [Weight Watchers’ Karen] Miller-Kovach. "Men will just cut something out, like no ice cream, whereas women will go on a low-fat ice cream. Women tend to do a lot of substituting, whereas guys will cut out the beer rather than going to a light beer. The little bit of research that's been done shows the man's approach is better."

Another reason men can be better at dieting is that they are generally larger and require more caloric intake, so reducing calories can have a more significant impact on weight loss. Additionally, it's widely known that men lose weight faster due to their having more lean muscle mass, which burns more calories than fat.

Or, I could join the writers on a picket line, where “Twelve hours of walking in a circle has not produced a new contract, but it has resulted in a new pants size.” © 2007 Stephen Yuen

[Update: below is a poignant entry on this topic in Post Secret.]