It’s More Difficult Going Through Life and Being Overweight as a Woman

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I’m truthfully (that’s what I do here) not looking to throw a pity party for anybody, but I realize that women have a tougher time in life.

My wife and I were driving home from her 10-year high school reunion a couple of weeks ago and we started talking about our teenage years. After comparing notes, I made the conclusion (important to note) that women deal with so many things on a daily basis that men never have to think about.

On the other hand, I don’t think the pendulum swings very far back in the other direction. For example, my wife was/is genetically “gifted” and she said the stares from guys started when she was twelve. Twelve. Men don’t have to experience that kind of ogling walking through Wal-Mart on a Tuesday afternoon.

Around this same time, puberty roars its ugly head. Growing up with a sister I know all about the horrors of this period (what a terrible pun) in a woman’s life. It might be simplified, but boys get to experience a “special feeling” for puberty while girls get to experience a monthly hell.

And trust me, my sister let me know that she was going through.

I could go on and on and organize a pro-women’s rally in DC later next year, but I’ve already got one for counting calories planned (not really). I hope most people know about the disparities between men and women. As far as weight loss is concerned, the separation between the genders isn’t as obvious.

A few notes/observations about being overweight as a woman:

• Women usually need lower calories to maintain weight loss. While most men can get away with eating around 2,000 calories a day (or much more) and still lose/maintain weight, many women need less due to their smaller frame. I’ve seen some women go as low as 1,200 calories a day which I’m not crazy about, but most women I know are around the 1,600-1,800 calorie a day mark.  That doesn’t allow for much splurging.

• Society puts more pressure on women to lose weight. How many sitcoms have a goofy, overweight husband and a model as a wife (think King of Queens)? It’s not fair. I don’t pretend to know how to change this, but women have my sympathy, even if they didn’t ask for it.

• Women are naturally shorter than men and unfortunately, the taller you are the easier it is to hide/carry weight. It’s easy to hide an extra ten or twenty pounds when you’re over 6-feet tall (that’s me!), but it’s a lot more difficult to do the same when you’re five-six.

• Women have a higher level of estrogen than men.  Increased estrogen levels contribute to fat gain and retention.

I don’t pretend to know the plight of the average woman and I don’t want to act like men don’t have their own share of problems. We do. At the end of the day, for whatever reasons, hurdles are just set higher for some people in life.

Just always remember that they’re usually hurdles, not brick walls.