Why losing weight is much harder for women

The female brain is "networked" differently, which is why women gain weight faster
Are you one of those people carrying too much weight? Then you have probably already tried to lose weight. Whether by diet or more sports, usually losing weight is not really a simple matter. For women, it seems even harder to lose weight. This conclusion was reached by British scientists based on their current findings.

Many people have problems to lose weight. For women, however, it seems even harder to lose weight. This could be due to a part of the female brain where a hormone is produced to regulate our appetite, physical activity and calorie consumption. This works differently in women than in men, claimed the researchers from the University of Aberdeen. The scientists published the results of their current study in the journal "Molecular Metabolism".

Women obviously have a much heavier weight loss than men. (Image: BillionPhotos.com/fotolia.com)

Hormone could make it difficult for women to lose weight
For women, losing weight actually seems to be heavier. A hormone to regulate appetite could be responsible. This works differently for women than for men, the physicians explain. The researchers came to this conclusion on the basis of a test on mice. During the study, scientists were able to turn obese male mice with increased appetite and reduced physical activity into lean and healthy mice. In the case of female animals, this transformation unfortunately did not succeed, say the experts. The sex seems to make a big difference in weight gain. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that there are higher rates of obesity in women worldwide. The value reaches a twice as high prevalence in men in some parts of the world.

Proopiomelanocortin neurons have a big impact on our weight
Currently, there is no difference in how obesity is treated in men and women. But this should be reconsidered in the future. Because the part of the human brain that has a major impact on the way we process our calories is wired differently in women and men. The cells in this brain region produce important hormones. These so-called Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) peptides regulate our appetite, physical activity, energy expenditure and body weight, the researchers explain. The POMC neurons are therefore very important for the treatment of obesity and for the development of a drug for the treatment of obesity, adds dr. Luke Burke added.

POMC neurons have different effects on women and men
Scientists have found that POMC neurons do not function as well in women as in men. The obesity drug Lorcaserin specifically affects the appetite in male and female mice. In male mice, the drug also has the advantage of changing the physical activity and energy expenditure. In female mice, this source of POMC peptides does not affect the physical activity or energy expenditure. Thus, although the drug can effectively reduce the appetite in women, it does not trigger signals in the brain that affect physical activity and energy expenditure. The findings could have implications for the development of new gender-specific drugs, and thus allow better coping with the obesity epidemic in the future, said lead author Professor Lora Heisler.

Obesity and its health consequences
Overweight is a huge problem worldwide. More than half of people in the UK are overweight and one in four people suffer from obesity there. This is an enormous proportion of the population. Given the links between obesity and serious medical conditions such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, finding effective new treatments is important, says Prof. Heisler. The current study shows that a gender difference in physical activity, energy expenditure and body weight is triggered by a specific source of the brain called POMC peptides. These findings could have far-reaching implications for the development of anti-obesity drugs. So far, the gender of the individual was ignored, emphasizes Prof Heisler.