Obese men have a harder time metabolizing carbs than obese women

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 13 July, 2005, 01:14 GMT 02:14 UK

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Obese men 'worse hit than women'

Different body shapes may explain the gender difference

Obese men may be in worse shape than obese women when it comes to
fitness and metabolism, Dutch scientists say.

They studied 22 men and 34 women who were severely overweight and said
the men had lower physical stamina and were less able to process
carbohydrates.

When added together, these factors can push a person into full-blown
diabetes with time, they told the journal Chest.

Diabetes experts said being obese raises the risk of diabetes by 80
times - regardless of gender.

Sex differences

Dr Emile Dubois and colleagues at the Hospital Reinier de Graaf Groep
asked the 22 men and 34 women to perform a series of exercise tests.

It is possible that women are better equipped for energy storage due
to
their inherent need to feed their offspring

Study co-author Dr Dave Schweitzer

Each had a body mass index - a standard measure of body weight in
relation to height, calculated by dividing weight in kg by the height
in
metres squared - of 40.

A healthy BMI is between 20 and 25. One of 30 or above is considered
obese.

The team also looked at each individual's ability to metabolise the
sugars found in carbohydrates.

An inability to tolerate carbohydrates can be an early marker of
metabolic syndrome - a group of medical conditions including obesity,
diabetes and high blood pressure that can lead to heart disease.

Overall, 59% of the men had overt diabetes or were carbohydrate
intolerant compared to 35% of the women.

The women also performed better on exercise endurance tests and had
better lung function than the men.

Body shapes

The researchers said their findings might be explained by the different
distribution of body fat in men, who store it in the upper body,
compared to women, who store it lower down on their hips and bottom.

Co-author Dr Dave Schweitzer said: "It is possible that women are
better
equipped for energy storage due to their inherent need to feed their
offspring.

"When food is abundant, such as in modern society, both genders may
become obese, but men simply do not have the reserve capacity to handle
excess food, which puts extra stress on their bodies, causing decreased
performance and, possibly, illness."

Simon O'Neill, Care Advisor at Diabetes UK, said: "This is interesting
research that may help us to understand why people develop insulin
resistance, which is often a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

"But no matter what your gender, if you are obese, you are up to 80
times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.

"It is never too late to start eating a healthy, balanced diet and
taking part in regular physical activity."

In the UK, more men (65%) than women (55%) are overweight or obese.

Experts fear three quarters of men will be overweight within five
years.