Why Men and Women Store Fat Differently
Beyond apples and pears: sex-specific genetics of body fat percentage
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists found genes that control body fat differently in men and women. They studied 312,000 people and discovered unique genes for each sex. Some genes linked to healthier fat storage and lower disease risk.
Surprising Findings
68% of male and 75% of female fat-related genes showed no association with heart disease, diabetes, or cholesterol levels.
People assume all fat-related genes increase disease risk, but many actually have no effect or even protective effects.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on where your body stores fat (e.g., hips vs belly) rather than just total weight.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists found genes that control body fat differently in men and women. They studied 312,000 people and discovered unique genes for each sex. Some genes linked to healthier fat storage and lower disease risk.
Surprising Findings
68% of male and 75% of female fat-related genes showed no association with heart disease, diabetes, or cholesterol levels.
People assume all fat-related genes increase disease risk, but many actually have no effect or even protective effects.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on where your body stores fat (e.g., hips vs belly) rather than just total weight.
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Endocrinology
Year
2023
Authors
D. Roshandel, Tianyuan Lu, Andrew D. Paterson, Satya Dash
Related Content
Claims (10)
Men typically exhibit higher body fat percentage in the abdominal region compared to other body regions.
Scientists found different sets of genes related to body fat in men and women; men have 195 genes linked to body fat, women have 174, and only 38 genes are common to both groups.
Researchers discovered 7 new genes related to body fat in men and 10 new ones in women that weren't known before to affect body fat or related health issues.
In men, most genes linked to body fat (68%) didn't affect cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes, or heart disease risk.
In women, most genes linked to body fat (75%) didn't affect cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes, or heart disease risk.