Why Do Girls Generally Have A Higher % Of Body Fat Then Guys?

I have my P.E. book next to me and it is comparing males and females between the ages of 20-24 years and it has on average males total body fat is about 15% of their body weight but females total is about 27%.
why is this, is it to do with genetics or something else.

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9 Responses to “Why Do Girls Generally Have A Higher % Of Body Fat Then Guys?”

  1. izzy on December 15th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

    Women tend to have more body fat than men—about five percent more. By nature, a woman’s body is developed to protect her and a potential fetus. As a result, women have more enzymes for storing fat and fewer enzymes for burning fat. Additionally, the estrogen women have activates fat storing enzymes and causes them to multiply.

  2. Jessica B on December 16th, 2009 at 12:36 am

    i think it has to do with biology: females need more fat for energy, it takes energy to have a cycle every month, it takes energy to form a baby–plus, even females have an adam’s apple–fat makes us feminine! fat is what hides the adam’s apple, gives us breasts, hips, and butts…we just need it to look like girls!!

  3. k_moonsh on December 16th, 2009 at 4:16 am

    Horomones and metabolism play a role.
    Fat is meant to be a source of energy when you need it. From an evolutionary standpoint, the extra % helps women have children and then breastfeed (women need to consume an extra 500 calories/day while breastfeeding, compared to pregnancy which requires 300 calories/day). It’s a source of energy for pregnant women and the growing fetus/infant.

  4. Will B on December 16th, 2009 at 7:26 am

    back when we were just hunters and gatherers the women were the gatherers while the men traveled long distances to hunt animals. the women needed the higher fat content to survive, without that the human race would have most likely gone extinct millennia ago, so thank you to all the women.

  5. Gotta Love My Airman on December 16th, 2009 at 11:25 am

    The #1 thing guys like most about girls: BOOBS
    And, we have to carry little parasites in us for about nine months, name it, and then feed it from our fat.

  6. Swedish Fish <3 on December 16th, 2009 at 6:14 pm

    girls need to have more fat on their body so that they can have children. that’s why girls with anorexia can’t have kids.. they don’t have enough body fat.

  7. A H on December 16th, 2009 at 11:45 pm

    Because men are supposed to hunt for food and need muscles whereas women don’t do any of that. [at least that's how it worked with our ancestors]

  8. Electro Boy on December 17th, 2009 at 5:15 am

    Genetics.
    The ratio of testosterone to estrogen.

  9. Coco on December 17th, 2009 at 5:26 am

    BECAUSE WE HAVE BOOBS!!!

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