The male diet
Male overweight
In Italy, before the age of 30, 1 in 6 children is overweight. Between the ages of 30 and 40, this proportion doubles. Marriage, children, professional situation: the more stable their life becomes, the less they move, the more they eat ... and the more they gain weight!
Contrary to what happens in women, in men fat is concentrated in the abdomen and can become dangerous causing cardiovascular problems and increased blood values (triglycerides, diabetes, cholesterol ...). An overweight man, therefore, must lose weight not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for one's health. Health is in danger when the BMI value (body mass index) is greater than 25 and the waistline measures more than 102 cm, or when the waist exceeds hip circumference size regardless of BMI.
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Its weak points
- Men are attracted to food products rich in proteins and fats (red meats, cold cuts, cheeses ...), which are too energetic and therefore harmful to health. They love sugar and sweets, which are also very high in calories.
- They tend to drink a lot of alcohol. But at 7 calories per gram, alcohol is treacherous.
- Many of them often have business lunches. When you have lunch with a customer, it is difficult to limit yourself to a salad ...
- They do not particularly like fruit and vegetables ... if not fried, or accompanied by sauces or butter ...
- They neglect breakfast or swallow a croissant on the way to work.
- They are not interested in food balance and have no dietary knowledge.
- They love to eat and cannot resist temptation.
The points in favor
- By nature, men burn more calories than women. They have more muscles and less fat tissues (10-15% fat, compared to 20-25% fat that characterize the female body): it is the muscle mass that consumes the most energy.
- They lose weight quickly. Following the same diet, a woman loses 3 kilos, while a man loses 5. In men, the speed of weight loss is 25% higher than that of women.
- By following, in general, fewer diets, they lose weight more easily than women, since the female body, by dint of being subjected to diets, becomes addicted to food restrictions.
- There are rare cases of men suffering from eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia, compulsive behaviors ... Their relationship with food is rarely problematic.
- If found on the stomach, thighs, buttocks and hips, the fat is easy to get rid of.
Advice
- More active, muscular and tall, men need at least 1600 -1800 Kcal per day to lose weight, provided mainly by proteins (150 g of meat or fish for lunch; 120 g for dinner) and vegetables, but also from starchy foods (about 150 g) for lunch and dinner, lightly seasoned, without forgetting dairy products (3 per day) and fruit (1 per meal).
- Particular attention must be paid to the nature of fats. It is better to favor vegetable oils for cooking, be content with a little (10 g) of butter, and eliminate cold cuts and fatty meats.
- Breakfast is essential. It must provide vitamins, fiber, minerals, slow carbohydrates, proteins and some fat.
- In the case of business lunches, it is better to opt for a fish restaurant or sushi. Generally, portions need to be reduced, at the cost of leaving something on the plate. Then, you have to choose: no chips for an aperitif and no seafood or smoked salmon for an appetizer. Better to choose roasted meat or fish with a vegetable side dish; no cheese and, for dessert, a sorbet or fruit salad. As for alcohol: to quench your thirst, nothing better than water, and you can indulge in a glass of wine for the pleasure of drinking it! And in the evening, soup, a slice of ham, a little bread, a dairy product and a fruit.
