Should More Women be Encouraged to Enter Politics?

The political domain has always been dominated by men, but the idea that this is how it should be has been increasingly challenged by the media and by wider society. It hardly seems fair that in a country where, in numerical terms, men and women are more-or-less equal there are far more men in parliament than women. Why should that be so when, ostensibly, males and females have equal access to education and the same opportunities? It is either the case that women are opting not to enter the world of politics or otherwise their sex is somehow holding them back.

In some countries, such as Sweden, there have been attempts to implement quotas to increase the number of female politicians. Is it really that important that there are female more representatives at the higher echelons of society? After all, does a person’s sex have a perceptible influence on how they believe a country should be run? Surely, individuals, regardless of whether they are male or female, have different life experiences that shape the way they think and feel. Unfortunately, it often seems that the men and women who end up as politicians come from a similar background of private education, university and high-flying jobs.

It could therefore be argued that it doesn’t really matter whether politicians are male or female, since they mostly subscribe to the same world-view, anyway. Of course, it would be quite good to see the political balance redressed in terms of men and women, but the chances are even with more women in parliament, the same ridiculous decisions will be made! Simply recruiting more women isn’t going to improve the calibre of politician or make politicians act in the best of interests of the people they purport to represent. Focusing on gender as a major issue detracts from the fact that social mobility is at a very low level and that parliament is not representative of society.

When everyone has a similar kind of education and upbringing, they all tend to see things in the same way and there is no one to challenge them and put forward different ideas. It is this which makes politics stale and inhibits innovation and change, rather than the fact that parliament is dominated by men per se. To reach a situation where there is a more diverse mix of politicians, political parties are going to have to make more of an effort to recruit wider and foster talent, instead of always choosing the seemingly safe option.

Are Skinny Women Really More Attractive?

It seems like such a stupid question to ask – are skinny women more attractive than women who are believed to be overweight? After all, when exactly do you class a woman as skinny or fat? Two women can weigh the same, but be different heights and shapes, and dress differently, so it might be hard to tell. Plus, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Although there are men who are attracted to skinny women, there are also men who prefer curvier women. The trouble is that when you’re continually exposed to the notion that skinny is good and overweight is bad, you can find yourself believing that the only way to be considered attractive is to be skinny.

This is a celebrity-obsessed society and you rarely see anyone in the spotlight looking less than perfect, unless they are coming in for ridicule. On the odd occasion a celebrity might have put on a few pounds, they will be castigated for it, with the most unflattering pictures published and critical words used against them. Although these individuals are paid huge amounts of money to present themselves in a certain way, reading these kinds of stories has an impact on ordinary individuals, too. You may be an ordinary woman who leads a busy life, with a full-time job and kids to feed. You may not have hours to spend in the gym, yet you feel a certain pressure to stay slim.

It isn’t only women who are affected by such images, since men are also exposed to the idea that skinny women are most desirable and that being overweight is bad. This can affect the way they behave around women, since it is perhaps less socially acceptable to be with women over a certain size. When a woman is overweight she may be the subject of teasing and name-calling and not all men are able to cope with that. It is perfectly possible to be overweight and attractive; you don’t have to be skinny to be considered pretty. At the end of the day, there is more to a person than the way they look and why would you want to be with someone who likes you simply because you’re thin?

The only trouble is that it is hard to be satisfied with the way you look when you’re continually comparing yourself to other women, especially women whose job depends on them being slim and fitting a particular mould. Wider society seems to want to impose on us the idea that being fat is bad and being slim is good, and we’re always being told how obesity rates are going to cripple the economy and health services. This clearly has an impact on how you see yourself, in terms of weight and size. Although being skinny or fat may not determine your attractiveness, it can impact your confidence, and if you don’t like what you see when you look in the mirror, this can influence how you present yourself to other people.

Why do Some Women Marry for Money?

There are some women whose primary reason for marrying a man is to obtain full access to his bank account. They don’t particularly care whether he’s good-looking or whether he has a personality that is compatible with their own. All they’re bothered about is being married to a man who has wealth and status. Of course, these women are free to do whatever they want, but rich men are often deluded when it comes to the women they attract. These men want to believe that they are loved for being themselves, but, unfortunately, this often isn’t the case.

The kind of woman who marries a man just for his money is usually one who is preoccupied with material things. She sees something she wants and expects someone to get it for her. She wants to be seen to have the best of everything, but is not prepared to work for it. Often she relies on her good looks to attract men’s attention and may even be prepared to undergo cosmetic surgery in order to achieve the ‘perfect’ look that she believes men desire. She has in her head the ideal lifestyle she wants and believes it must be funded by a man with a large income.

Most people couldn’t imagine getting involved with someone just because they happen to be rich, but, for some women, that is their goal in life. They’ve come to rely on their looks and know that it only takes for them to be seen in the right places, wearing the right clothes and mingling with the right people for them to meet wealthy men who are flattered by the attentions of an often younger, attractive woman. Men are so blinded by their sexual desire that they fail to consider that these women may only be after one thing and it isn’t their body!

Maybe there are men who are aware of exactly what these women are after and are prepared to accept that their wealth is appeals to a certain kind of woman. If men know what they’re getting into, it is one thing, but you have to feel sorry for those men who truly believe that they are marrying for love. It is hard enough to make a marriage work, but when it is based solely on one partner’s earning potential; it doesn’t bode well for the future. After all, he could lose his job or fall ill. Plus, women who rely solely on their looks will find that they can’t do that forever and may be traded in for a younger model! Ultimately, though, it is up to individuals how they choose to live their lives, even if it means other people end up getting hurt.

Why Women Turn to Cosmetic Surgery to Look Younger

It is not only women who are turning to cosmetic surgery in order to turn back the years, but there is certainly a great deal more pressure on women to remain as youthful as possible than there is on men. This is a society where looks can help you go far and since women have enough difficulty as it is progressing within the workplace, looking your age or older than your years doesn’t exactly help the situation. The trouble is that as more women think cosmetic surgery is the only option available to them, the greater the pressure on other women to have work done, as they don’t want to be left behind.


Everyone gets older, but for some reason, especially in the West, you are expected to disguise your age and avoid revealing how old you are. Unfortunately, despite legislation aimed at preventing ageism, age discrimination is something that is still encountered by a significant proportion of the population, especially if you happen to be a woman. There are some occupations where you just can’t get ahead or even simply stay where you are if you happen to look as though you’re getting older. While men are regarded as distinguished and wise, women are perceived as frumpy and unappealing.


Unless modelling, looks clearly have nothing to do with a woman’s capabilities and, yet, women are still judged more by their appearance than anything else. There have been a number of incidents where female news reporters and presenters have been replaced by younger women, despite the older professionals doing their job perfectly well. Men don’t have to worry about looking older on-screen; in fact, it might even enhance their credentials, since having experience is clearly a positive thing. This isn’t perceived to be the case when it comes to women.


Consequently, many women go down the cosmetic surgery route in the hopes that by having a face lift or brow lift their wrinkles will disappear and they will fit in with the youth-obsessed society of today. Not all women who opt to have cosmetic surgery have careers where looking good is particularly vital, but this doesn’t mean their looks count for nothing. When it comes to promotion, if you look like you’re approaching retirement age this clearly counts against you, as a woman, and thus it is not surprising that so many women will try anything to avoid being classed as old and ‘past it’. Whether cosmetic surgery actually makes women look younger and helps them within the workplace is another matter, though.

Why do Women Bother with Anti-Ageing Products?

It would appear that there are many women who are prepared to spend a significant amount of money on anti-ageing products in the belief that they can somehow halt, if not reverse, the ageing process. Yet, what is the point? Everybody gets older – it's a fact of life. Plus, there is no miracle 'cure' for ageing. None of the products available are going to magically get rid of all your wrinkles and restore your face to the way it looked in your twenties. Even surgery cannot do that, as although you may be less wrinkly, you often end up with a distorted face instead!

So, why exactly do women bother with anti-ageing products, then? Well, it isn't just women who are bothered about ageing, as increasingly, men look for ways to stay looking younger. However, it seems that women have always felt more pressure to take care of their appearance than men. It is programmed into women that men are visual creatures and that to be found attractive, they have to look their best – which in most cases means looking young. Of course, real men and women are very different from the men and women you see in magazines, who all have a lot of help to look flawless.

For those celebrities who don't turn to surgery, there are other ways for to remain youthful-looking. Some just have good genes, but in most cases, there will be a stylist and make-up artist lurking in the background, as well as photographers who are familiar with airbrushing. The images you see are not necessarily a reflection of reality, yet women are conditioned to think that this is how they should look, regardless of their situation. If you lead a busy lifestyle and don't have someone to do your make-up for you, of course it's going to be more of a challenge.

However, if you believe there is a product that can help you stay looking young, you may decide to give it a go. After all, what is the worst that could happen? It might not make you look younger, but it gives you hope that you can keep the wrinkles at bay. Besides, it's cheaper and less painful than going down the surgical route. Ultimately, it is futile to try to fight the ageing process, but out of this comes a sense of frustration that you can't do anything. There are so many anti-ageing products out there that you try to convince yourself that you can actually take positive action and won't have to surrender to old age, even though you know it will happen one day.

Why do Some Women Jump from Relationship to Relationship?

It seems that there are some women out there who are unable to last two minutes without jumping into another relationship. It is as if they cannot operate unless they are one of a couple, although this hardly seems healthy. Sometimes, it is good to remain single for awhile, especially after coming out of a long-term relationship, so that you can re-assess your priorities and reflect on what you want from life. When you're in a relationship, you can often find your own goals and ambitions are put on the back burner, and so being single gives you an opportunity to focus on yourself.

You therefore have to question the wisdom of women who go from one relationship to the next with very little gap in between. There are women who dump one boyfriend, because another man has shown them attention and they think that they're missing out on something. The grass may appear greener on the other side, but often these women find themselves just as dissatisfied with their new relationship as they were with their previous ones. Consequently, they look for someone else to fill a gap in their lives, as if being in a relationship is going to complete them.

If you need to be in a relationship to feel complete, you're obviously missing something. There is more to life than going out with someone. It might be exciting getting to know someone in the beginning, and you get hooked on the flattery and sexual energy that exists at the start of a relationship. Ultimately, though, what seems exciting will eventually become mundane and although hopping from one relationship to another will give you a temporary thrill, this situation can hardly go on forever. If you are dissatisfied with something in your life, being in a relationship isn't going to alter that fact.

In some cases it is understandable why women jump from one relationship straight into another, because being on your own can be lonely. If you've been used to having someone waiting for you at home when you get back from work and someone who you can tell anything to, finding yourself without a partner can be rather traumatic. You want the closeness you had in your previous relationship and so you seek it out in other people. However, if you're feeling desperately lonely, it is very easy to end up making rash decisions which turn out to be the wrong ones in the long run.

When you're in an emotionally vulnerable state, you may not spend too long contemplating the consequences of your actions and so you could find yourself drifting from one relationship to another. Although being on your own can be tough, especially if you're the type of person who needs to feel loved and are anxious about being alone, sometimes you have to give yourself a break and really think about what it is you want, rather than looking for something you're not going to find in yet another relationship.

Why do Women Wear High Heels?

It isn't unusual to see women teetering around whilst wearing ridiculously high heels and you have to wonder for what purpose exactly? It certainly isn't for the benefit of their feet or back, since wearing high heels regularly can lead to problems for both. Yet, this doesn't seem to deter women from wearing them. Clearly, appearances matter more to some women than remaining comfortable and pain-free. It is the desire to look taller and to be able to display toned legs that seems to appeal to women when they put on high heels. They usually want to be noticed for looking good, rather than for being short.

Men don't really have this option. There are shoes lifts that can be used to give the impression that a man is actually taller than he is, but they are nothing compared to the five inch heels that some women decide to wear. Surely, it is asking for trouble to wear such high heels because it only takes one misjudged step for a woman to break her ankle. Yet, vanity seems to take precedence over safety in most instances and, consequently, women see a pair of high heels and don't even bother to think about the potential for harm.

Why would they when the fashion world constantly parades women in high heels down the runways? High heels and female fashion seem to go hand-in-hand and women who are fashion conscious generally think nothing of wearing high heels, because they are so used to it. Wearing high heels gives the impression that they have longer, more shapely legs and there are women who obviously enjoy the attention that wearing high heels gives them, especially if they are wearing an outfit that matches.

Women who are shorter than average can wear high heels and appear a normal height, whilst women who are tall can also attract attention to themselves by putting on a pair of high heeled shoes. Not all women wear high heels, though, because for some they are just too impractical. For anyone who has a job that requires them to be on their feet all day, clearly flat shoes are required. Not everyone wants to wear high heels, anyway, because there are those who prefer comfort and not having to worry about developing problems with their feet as a result of the shoes they wear.

It is pretty obvious that the women who choose to wear high heels do so because they appear taller and to have leaner legs, which gives them a confidence boost and makes them feel more attractive. For those who don't wear high heels, it can be difficult to understand why women would put themselves through this discomfort just for the sake of vanity, but there are women who feel self-conscious about their height and simply feel better when they put on their high heels.

The Role of Women in Victorian Britain

Queen Victoria's reign lasted from 1937 until 1901, during which time British society underwent a number of profound changes. Britain became the 'workshop of the world', a nation where it was possible for anyone to embrace the virtues of self-help and prosper. Of course, this was not entirely true, since women were not afforded the same rights as men and it would take until the twentieth century for women to make any real progress in their fight for equal rights. Despite the many societal changes that occurred in Britain during the Victorian era, women continued to be treated as inferior to men.

Women did not have the same opportunities as men in terms of education, business and relationships, and they were expected to be content with their lot, as opposed to challenging the status quo. However, it is important to remember that social class was an inherent component of British life. Although all women were considered to be inferior to their male counterparts, there was no sense of universal sisterhood. The lives and experiences of working-class women were likely to be very different to those of middle- and upper-class women. Even when women began to call for the vote in the second half of the nineteenth century, it was mainly educated women from the higher echelons of society that were calling for change.

This is because middle-class women, in particular, had been exposed to progressive ideas, usually through their philanthropic or religious work and so wanted to take on a more public role. In most cases, women were expected to be seen and not heard, so that any kind of public engagement or political involvement was deemed inappropriate, unless it was conducted within the sphere of philanthropy. If women decided to hold meetings in their homes to discuss the problem of the slave trade or heathenism amongst the British working classes, this was not such a cause for concern. It was only if women troubled themselves with more 'masculine' endeavours that opposition arose.

As long as middle-class women stuck to raising money for charity and proselytising to those who had no faith, men had nothing to worry about. Educated men in powerful positions would maintain that women did not require the vote, as they could simply use the power of female persuasion to convince their husbands to vote a certain way. However, women were not only interested in suffrage, since they faced many other disadvantages. Women were constricted in terms of their occupation; plus, when they married they became their husbands' property. Women would often stay in an unhappy marriage, because they feared they would lose their property, children and status if they did not.

It was difficult to obtain a divorce, anyway, and there was a stigma attached to any woman labelled as a divorcee. Indeed, whether married or unmarried, women came under much greater scrutiny in the ways they conducted themselves than men. Unmarried, middle-class women could not be seen to cavort with young men, as they could develop somewhat of a reputation for themselves, thus having a negative impact on their marriage prospects. It was harder for working-class women to uphold such propriety when they lived in extremely close quarters with their men folk. Consequently, the slums were perceived to be a hotbed of heathenism and immoral behaviour by wider society.

Working-class women definitely had a hard life. Whereas middle-class women had a comfortable existence and could dedicate their time to managing the servants and engaging in philanthropic activities, working-class women spent their time working hard, looking after the children and fighting a futile battle against the grime that would infect their households. They would often give birth to lots of children, since contraception was generally not something they had knowledge of or access to. Plus, a significant number of their children would not reach adulthood, meaning that parents needed to ensure they had children who would be able to look after their welfare when they became too old to work.

It was obviously a challenge for working-class women to engage in any kind of wider philanthropic or political movements when they did not possess either the education or the time needed to participate. Thus, when the women's movement started to gain ground, it was largely confined to the middle classes, as middle-class women had usually had some kind of informal education and had experience of creating and distributing leaflets, organising campaigns and meetings. Many of these women looked towards America for inspiration, where calls for women's rights were growing louder.

However, at the end of the day, any changes to British society that would impact women would have to come from men. Women could campaign all they wanted, but until they had enough men onside to pass legislation that would give women the same rights as men, nothing was going to happen. Unfortunately, there were still apparently sensible and educated men who believed that women had smaller brains than men; that they were intellectually inferior and that any kind of learning would make women too masculine. These men were hardly likely to take the position that women should have the vote.

Consequently, throughout the nineteenth century, a time when a woman was the head of state in Britain and the colonies, and British society underwent many substantial changes, the one thing that did not change was the inferior position British women had to take. Women of all classes could not simply do as they pleased, as there were certain expectations of them, which if they failed to meet would have a detrimental impact on their reputation. Thus, it is not surprising so many women felt suffocated by a repressive society. This led a number of wealthy women to seek refuge in other countries, where there was less pressure on them to conform to gender ideals and to stick to their traditional roles than in Britain.

Women clearly had a vital role in Victorian Britain, as they were there to offer support to their husbands; to look after their children and home; to engage in philanthropic activities and, eventually, to participate in political campaigns. However, they were not rewarded for their efforts in the same way as men, and so it is understandable why a growing number of women were becoming frustrated and deciding to try to change the political system. It would take quite a few years longer for them to succeed, though, as it was only in 1918 that suffrage was awarded to women who it was believed had proved themselves as being worthy of the vote during World War I.

Why are British Women the Fattest in Europe?

Statistics indicate that of all the European nations, Britain is the one with the highest proportion of obese women. Between 2008 and 2009 23.9 per cent of British women were classed as obese, ahead of Malta with 21.1 per cent. Romania is at the bottom of the table, with 8 per cent of the female population classed as obese. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the nations with the highest proportion of obese females compared to the lowest and there surely has to be a reason why so many British women are obese.

For a start, Britain has a culture more akin to that of America than of continental Europe. Britons work the longest hours and have the shortest holidays and so they don't spend as much time looking after themselves as they should. Women are encouraged to find work, which many do willingly. However, it can be difficult to find decent childcare and for women to balance work and family life. When so many women are working full-time, looking after the children and keeping the home tidy, they generally don't have as much time to implement strategies that help with weight management.

Consequently, many British women fail to make the right dietary choices. In many European nations, there seems to be a more laid-back attitude towards eating and drinking. In Italy and France, people take time to prepare balanced meals and to enjoy what they're eating. Quite often, in Britain, women will simply eat something that is quick to prepare and doesn't take long to eat. They grab packaged sandwiches that they can eat during their lunch break, and pay little attention to the high-calorie content. They may snack on junk food to take away the hunger pangs as well.

They may not bother to cook meals from scratch, as it is more convenient and less time-consuming to heat up a microwaveable meal or pick up some fast food on the way home. Plus, women's eating habits are often influenced by their emotions. With British women working long hours and struggling to make time for their family; stress, anxiety and depression can be an issue. British women may turn to food or alcohol to lift their spirits, but if they regularly eat huge quantities of chocolate and drink large glasses of wine they will end up consuming an excess number of calories.

This is especially true when so many British women are failing to do enough exercise. Most people have come to depend on their cars to get to work, to take their children to school and to do the shopping. Thus, they are walking less, whilst not taking up any other activities that would enable them to burn more calories. It may be that British women cannot find the time to join a gym or cycle more, but there are plenty of instances where they simply can't be bothered. For these women, the incentive to remain slim and toned is not enough to make the prospect of working up a sweat any more appealing.

Obesity is an issue for most nations within Europe, but it is apparent that the situation is particularly bad in Britain. Unfortunately, many British women eat a poor diet, rarely exercise and fail to get enough sleep. Clearly, the majority of obese women are not happy about the situation, which is why so much money is spent on weight-loss products in Britain, but without lifestyle changes and a healthier attitude towards diet and exercise it is impossible to see how the obesity problem is going to be resolved.

Can Women Really Have it all?

Women would like to believe that they can have it all – that they can get an education, pursue a successful career and raise a family – but often something has to give. Whether you're male or female it can be very difficult to juggle everything at the same time and give equal attention to every area of your life and so some aspects of your life are bound to suffer. It is even worse when you're a woman, though, because there is a certain pressure to have and raise children; to look after the house and keep everything in order; at the same time as having a career.

This kind of pressure doesn't seem to affect men to the same degree. In some families it is still the man who is considered to be the main bread winner, but there are an increasing number of dual income families and families where women are the main earners. Yet, although women are expected to contribute financially to the household, domestic duties still seem to fall on their shoulders. Not only do they have to spend hours in an office or shop, they then have to clean the house, cook the meals, wash the dishes and do everything else that their partners won't do.

As a woman, you may be able to go to university, get a degree, establish a decent career and find the love of your life, before settling down and having a family, but it isn't always easy. When you spend most of your time building up a reputation in order to further your career, you may not have much opportunity to socialise and meet men. When your child-bearing years are limited you could find your biological clock ticking, something which you either act upon or try to ignore. If you are single into your late thirties or forties you could discover that having a child becomes a challenge.

If you dedicate yourself to your career, you may have no room in your life for a man or a child. Just because you live on your own and are single doesn't mean that you cannot be fulfilled, but when you are led to believe that the only way to be content is to have it all, it can be a challenge to be entirely satisfied with your life. You start to compare your life to that of other women you know and wonder whether you would be happier with a husband and child. The chances are that all your married friends with children sometimes consider your situation with a degree of envy, too.

It is therefore clear that very few women are completely happy with their lot. There is a notion that women can have it all, but the truth is that even when you have it all, you can still find reasons to be dissatisfied. You may have a successful career and a family, but spend so much time at work that you never get to read your child a bedtime story and find that the relationship you have with your partner is strained. On the other hand, you might find that your career reaches a dead-end once you have children, which can be rather frustrating when it is something you have worked so hard on.

Whatever your priorities in life, you always find yourself comparing your own situation to others', which leaves you questioning whether you're in the right relationship and whether you've taken the right path. In the end, it doesn't really matter whether you can have it all if you are not particularly happy with your life. As a woman, though, you have so much to contend with that it is difficult not to want more than you have and to believe you have to be everything to everyone, which just leaves you dissatisfied and miserable when you really should be grateful for all the opportunities you have.

Why Women of all Sizes are Unhappy with Their Bodies

It often seems that women of all sizes are unhappy with their bodies. Even those who are slim and toned generally find something that they don't like about the way they look. They may see fat where there isn't any or have flabby bits or cellulite that they just can't get rid of. Overweight women feel they have even more to dislike about their bodies, since they face can discrimination because of their size. In a society where it helps to be slim, it isn't surprising that so many women find themselves stuck on a diet in an attempt to shed the pounds.

Unfortunately, women are extremely critical of themselves. They worry what their female friends think about them, whilst also wanting to be considered attractive by members of the opposite sex. They tend to be competitive when it comes to appearances, not wanting to be the 'fat one' in their group of friends and delighting in the fact they are the slimmest. They may not admit to such feelings, but they are often present. Weight is something that most women are worried about, even when they're not overweight, so that it becomes a regular topic of conversation.

Women seem to get some kind of perverse pleasure talking about unhappy they are with their bodies. Any woman who states she loves her body and is totally confident will probably receive a few sideways glances from her friends. It is just so unusual to hear, because women almost feel that they have to loathe their bodies. They always have to strive to be thinner, more toned and firmer than their friends and colleagues. It is something which starts in adolescence, as girls grow into women and discover how much importance is attributed to being thin.

Even when friends and relatives say nothing to encourage a girl to lose weight, her size is something she is always conscious of. She wants to be able to wear the latest fashions without worrying she is too heavy to carry them off. She wants to fit in with her friends and be seen as attractive by boys, believing that being slim will help them achieve this. However, no matter how slim women get there is always someone slimmer and more attractive than they are.

Without undergoing cosmetic surgery, there is only so much a woman can do to alter her appearance, with losing weight being the easiest option and having the most visible impact. Consequently, many women get into the habit of dieting, which only makes weight control more challenging in the long run. It does give women something to talk about, though, as they get together with their friends and moan about how difficult it is! Perhaps, this is how it has always been and always likely to be in a society dominated by the issue of weight.

Do Men Find it Easier to Lose Weight than Women?

It often seems that men find it easier to lose weight than women. Perhaps it is because men are more inclined to just get on with it, whereas women have a tendency to moan about their weight rather than to actually tackle the problem. Of course, this is not always true. There are women who manage to lose weight successfully and maintain a healthy weight, whilst there are men who go from diet to diet and fail to achieve lasting weight loss. Overall, though, it seems that weight just isn't as much of an issue for men as it is for women.

Losing weight isn't particularly easy for anyone, but men have the advantage of being able to consume more calories than women. Men tend to be taller than women and have a different physical composition, which means their bodies require a greater number of calories to function. Thus, although both men and women have to reduce their calorie consumption, men are able to consume more calories overall. A woman trying to lose weight might cut her daily calorie intake from 2000 calories to 1500 in order to lose a pound a week, whilst a man will go from 2500 to 2000.

This may not sound a lot, but 500 extra calories could amount to two small bars of chocolate or a few biscuits, which when you're trying to lose weight seems more than it is. It isn't just food that is the issue, though, since exercise is also part of the weight loss equation. There may be plenty of male and female fitness fanatics, but it generally appears that overweight, unfit women are less inclined to increase their activity levels than men. Men are often better at setting themselves fitness goals that ultimately lead to weight loss, whereas women regard exercise as primarily for the purpose of weight loss.

It may be the case that there are just different expectations of men and women. Whilst men are expected to be physically fit and muscular, women are supposed to be slim with curves in all the right places. There is generally more pressure on women to be slim than there is on men, though, since more importance is given to the way women look. At the same time, women go through changes that men don't experience which will affect their weight. Women have children and go through the menopause, which obviously means that a woman's shape changes over time.

It may not be possible to determine whether men find it easier to lose weight than women, but for many women this certainly seems to be the case. It doesn't really matter, though, because it is evident that members from both sexes are having difficulty controlling their weight. It is this that people need to work on, rather than trying to find a quick and easy way to lose weight when weight loss is designed to be hard.