Regrettably, our Mayne Island TOPS group currently lacks gender diversity. No, TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) isn’t only for women. Our magazine, TOPS News, and website, TOPS.org, are full of stories and pictures of folks who have reached a healthy weight goal, and they aren’t just women. But it’s not like all the Men -o’-Mayne are noticeably girth-free. So, do we not have a mystery here? Delving into the internet, I found some interesting ideas.
While standards of health and weight are changing, social biases around weight continue to impact women more than men (e.g., in employment, education, healthcare.) Obese women report similar biases to the ethnic biases experienced today by First Nations people, who often report not being taken seriously, not being cared for as well as others.
Dr. Rekha B. Kumar, medical director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, notes, “Men can be healthy at much lower fat masses than are considered healthy for women. Females tend to be healthy at a higher body fat percentage, which goes back to the theory that this is due to reproductive reasons.” We’re different, but for everyone, stomach fat that sits under the muscle and around the organs is dangerous inflammatory fat that increases the risk of possibly serious diseases.
Culture, ethnicity, economics, as well as food availability, affect how we eat and how we see our weight. As well, fashion and traditional expectations historically led to differences in how the genders approached weight health. But that is changing. Dr. Kumar says that the differences are narrowing due partly to an increase in diabetes in the general North American population, so that weight is more often seen as a health issue.
One similarity between men and women is that they start losing muscle in their 30s. It’s important to eat right and to strength train if you decide to lose weight, to minimize losing even more muscle.
Of course, while there are similarities and differences between groups, general patterns are just general patterns, and don’t represent every individual case. Severe weight issues may arise in people of any gender. Concerns like diabetes, genetic conditions, or psychological issues necessitate getting help from a medical professional.
So, while considering the question of how to interest men in looking into TOPS, I decided to ask my home-based handyperson for advice: “Remind them how CBC’s Red Green (Mr. Duct Tape) would end Possum Lodge meetings with a group recitation of the Man's Prayer: ‘I’m a man - but I can change - if I have to - I guess’”. On further research, I found that the last episode changed the Man's Prayer to "I'm a man - but I changed - because I had to. Oh, well." See? There’s hope.
Join us at TOPS. Bring a buddy (first session is free.) We are a very welcoming group of people. We’d love to see you at our meetings. We meet every Wednesday morning at the Community Centre, from 9:00 to 10:00. We wear masks and social distance. We’re a low-cost, enjoyable, international self-help program that welcomes everyone. If you want to Take Off Pounds Sensibly with us please call.
Submitted by Amber Harvey
References
You’ll find interesting studies and articles if you Google “Men and Women differences Weight Loss”
Dr. Rekha B. Kumar, medical director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, at Weill Cornell
Katherine Tallmadge, registered dietitian and author of Diet Simple: 195 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations