Where Is Fat Stored on the Female & Male Body?

Like many animals, humans have some degree of sexual dimorphism. One essential element of this is fat storage. Males and females store fat differently on their bodies.

Male Fat Storage

• Fat in males tends to be distributed around the belly region. For men who are overweight, this sort of distribution poses a health risk, as belly fat is associated with obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Female Fat Storage

• Females tend to store their fat in the hips, butt and thighs. For this reason, women are less vulnerable to obesity-related ailments than men, at least until menopause, when ovarian hormone levels decrease and fat moves upward toward the waist.

Biological basis

• There are significant differences in the type of fat which is distributed around the body. Belly fat, or visceral fat, surrounds the internal organs, which contributes to the health risks associated with it. Lower body fat, however, is subcutaneous and located outside the muscle wall. There are genetic differences between these types of fats. In addition, male and female hormones appear to play a role in fat distribution and vulnerability to inflammation.