Why personalised Him & Her breakfasts could be the key to weight loss

Most couples eat the same meals as their partners — because who’s got the time to cook two different meals, right? As it turns out, this extra bit of effort might be the key to weight loss in both sexes!

There is a growing awareness amongst people that it is your diet that largely determines whether you’re losing weight or not. More notably, people are realising that the dietary and nutritional requirements differ between sexes. And now, a recent study from the University of Waterloo piles onto existing research, suggesting that this factor could play a significant role in how your body processes food.

The study’s authors used a mathematical model of human metabolism and revealed that men and women respond differently to various dietary components. For instance, men could benefit from consuming a carbohydrate-rich breakfast (think aloo paratha), while women may find a fat-heavy meal (such as anda bhurji) after waking up better.

According to the study, gender-specific diets that follow this man-eats-carbs, woman-eats-fats formula could help both sexes retain energy for longer durations, regulate blood sugar levels and yes, even reduce fat deposits!

By tailoring our diet to our specific metabolic needs, we can optimise our weight management and overall health, explained Stéphanie Abo, the lead author of the study.

We know what you’re thinking: the math ain’t mathing because how can a high fat diet help reduce fat in women?! The scientists provide answers to this as well.

It's time for women to embrace fat-rich meals

Women have a higher body fat percentage than men on average, so it is a common misconception that they probably don’t burn as much fat as men do. However, the mathematical model indicated that women store fat immediately after a meal but also burn it quicker during fasting to obtain energy — which could be a good thing for weight management.

The team thinks a biological process known as the TG-FFA cycle could be responsible for these differences in energy use and fat storage among sexes. But more definitive research is required in this area.

What we can take away from this very insightful study is that men and women break down fats for energy differently. And eating meals that complement this pattern rather than interfere with their respective metabolism could be the key to losing weight!

However, breakfast is only one part of the day and an individual’s overall weight loss may be influenced by other factors like age, lifestyle and other underlying health issues. As the researchers continue to refine their models, we can expect further advancements in personalised nutrition.

For now, this study fills a long-standing gender gap in metabolic research. And understanding how different sexes metabolise food can be a game-changer.