The science behind my fats

(and why he can eat whatever he wants)

Again? Yes, again. I came across the enlightening literature titled: Why some get fat and others do not; the science behind fat. I find that really ruthlessly interesting. Because that is exactly what I wonder about, although I do have a bit of a simpleton's theory, but I'm not talking about that right now (takes another chip).

Let me explain how things work here in the editorial office. The misunderstanding exists that we only eat leaves of lettuce. Chewing fifty times on a bite before swallowing it. And seeing sugar as the devil. So I'm going to tell you a secret, that's not true. Honestly, some maintain a stricter regime than others (hi Simoon), but actually, it's one big feast in the editorial office (hello Elke, hi Kiek, enjoy Lil). I had the sneaky hope that I would naturally leave a kilo or so at the door when I started here, but that's a utopia. Complete nonsense. I've never seen so much chocolate in a square meter as on my desk. By the way, I don't position this myself in the corner of my workspace, others do that so they eat less themselves. So we received a humongous package from Godiva as a gift and it found its way to me. It's not even that I immediately tear the packaging apart, that's what my dearest colleagues do (and I'm not pointing fingers here). The problem is that they usually start eating that chocolate right in front of me and that's where it goes wrong. Seeing food makes you eat and eating makes me gain weight.

The author of the book, Sylvia Tara, brings us women good news. Especially in the fight against the occasional skinny man with the unnuanced mindset that every pound we gain goes through our mouths. It has been scientifically proven that women worldwide store more fat than men, she is even built for it. And this is not because she eats more than her male counterpart, because the intake is roughly equal, no, the depth of the fat folds is already determined when mothers bring you into the world. So as a baby, you are immediately at a disadvantage as a girl. I also find it unfair, yes. But I also find it reassuring that it all has a biological basis.

The female body performs better with fat. If you have too little body fat, for example, you will no longer get your period and cannot have children (if you have that ambition). It also has everything to do with our hormonal balance, because in the second half of your cycle, as a woman, you have a greater need for carbohydrates and fatty foods. The drop in estrogen and the increase in progesterone also causes your fat storage to fluctuate and voilà: suddenly you gain weight. Men do not have these kinds of issues, which is why love handles are absent and he can eat ruthlessly much non-stop (or most of them). So if he starts nagging about your next fluctuation or whether you should take that chocolate, I would a) immediately kick him out of your house and b) shove this piece of information under his nose.

Source image: Pinterest