This topic has been a paradox that flummoxed women for generations – their apparent ability to store fat more efficiently than men, despite eating proportionally fewer calories.
As reported by ScienceDaily (Mar. 4, 2009) — that , while it has long been suspected that female sex hormones are responsible for the above written castigation, , a University of New South Wales (UNSW) research review has for the first time drawn a link between one hormone – oestrogen – and its impact on fat storage for child-bearing.
On average, women have 6 to 11 percent more body fat than men. Studies show that, oestrogen reduces a woman's ability to burn energy after eating, resulting in more fat being stored around the body. The likely reason, as suggested by the review is to prime women for child-bearing. The author of the the study, Associate Professor Anthony O'Sullivan, from UNSW's St George Clinical School, lamented, that "Female puberty and early pregnancy – times of increased oestrogen – could be seen as states of efficient fat storage in preparation for fertility; foetal development and lactation,"
NOTE: The above findings may have implications for dietary advice given to women during pregnancy and the design of exercise regimes.