Gender differences in weight loss

As men and women age, fat pads their bodies in different places. Men typically put so-called visceral fat around their middles, but women tend to cushion their hips and thighs with extra fat. An animal study now suggests that men and women might lose weight differently, too.

Deborah J. Clegg of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and her colleagues report that female rats ate less and lost weight after injections of leptin, a hormone linked to appetite control.