Women Prone to ‘Emotional Overeating’: Study Reveals Obesity Differences Between Genders

This combination of file photos made in 2016 shows (from L) obese people in Los Angeles, Mexico City and Manchester. Robyn Beck, Ronaldo Schemidt, Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images

Women with a high body mass index (BMI) tend to be more susceptible to “emotional overeating” compared to men, the latest research shows, revealing a distinction between the genders.

The study, from researchers at the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA), was published in the Brain Communications journal on April 4. It builds upon an earlier study by UCLA researchers that found that emotion-related and compulsive eating played a critical role in female obesity. Meanwhile, men’s eating behaviors were found to be affected by a greater awareness of gut sensations and visceral responses.

The April 4 study supports and corroborates the earlier research. Females with high BMI were observed to have lower connectivity between the amygdala and sensorimotor network, which was associated with lower resilience and greater anxiety.

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“Lower connectivity between the amygdala and this established sensorimotor network in women with high BMI compared to males suggests that females may have a reduced capacity to integrate emotions with action-directed goal planning, resulting in greater ‘emotional overeating’ compared to males,” according to the study.

“This is further supported as our results show altered anatomical and resting-state connectivity of the amygdala to regions all across the recently discovered extended amygdala-sensorimotor network including the operculum and temporal cortices, which was all associated with lower mental health scores in females with high BMI compared to males with high BMI.”

The amygdala is part of a neural network known to mediate aspects of memory and emotion. The sensorimotor network senses physical inputs, converts them into electrical signals that travel across the brain network, and then triggers a physical response.

Attraction to Processed Foods

The study notes that females with obesity have a greater salience network connectivity. The role of the salience network is to choose relevant context-dependent stimuli to which an organism can direct its resources or attention.

Neural signatures among obese women were found to support the “incentive salience model,” which suggests that they might be more biased toward the sight, smell, and taste of “ultra-processed foods.”

“In designing treatment plans for females with high BMI, it may be important to focus on emotional regulation techniques and vulnerability factors,” Arpana Gupta, a brain, obesity, and microbiome researcher at UCLA and senior author of the study, said in an April 6 statement.

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The study looked at 183 participants aged 18 to 55. It included 42 males with non-obese BMI, 23 males with high BMI, 63 females with non-obese BMI, and 55 females with high BMI.

Participants filled out a survey assessing factors such as childhood trauma, food addiction, and personality traits, among others. They also underwent three MRI scans to assess the brain’s structure, function, and connectivity.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey conducted in the United States between 2017 and March 2020, the rate of obesity prevalence in the country was 41.9 percent. This is up from 30.5 percent between 1999 and 2000. During this time, the prevalence of severe obesity almost doubled from 4.7 percent to 9.2 percent.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates obesity prevalence to be the highest among adults aged 40 to 59 years, with 44.3 percent of this demographic affected by it. This was followed by adults aged 60 and above at 41.5 percent, and adults aged 20 to 39 at 39.8 percent.

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Furthermore, there is “compelling epidemiological evidence” revealing a “strong association” between being obese or overweight and the risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

Weight Gain Difference

Men and women vary in how they gain weight. First is the level of testosterone—the male hormone. Testosterone strengthens muscle mass as well as ensures optimal burning of excess fat tissue in the body.

As such, an adult male with a normal testosterone level only has to ensure that he consumes a balanced diet and works out regularly. This will minimize weight gain in the tummy.

In contrast, estrogen, the female hormone, doesn’t aid in maintaining a healthy BMI. Estrogen levels can fluctuate during pregnancy or menopause periods, leading to weight gain among females.

Fat metabolism in the two sexes also varies. Among men, more fat gets burned during exercise. Even while at rest, men burn fat. However, fat metabolism among women is moderately slow. As a result, women tend to gain weight at a faster pace compared to men.