Men Lose More Weight Than Women on Ketogenic Diet, Study Finds

As economies expand, the number of people living with obesity has surged worldwide. Obesity and diabetes now stand out as major global health challenges demanding urgent, collective action. Traditional dietary interventions, especially low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets, have often shown limited success, particularly among those with insulin resistance. In contrast, the ketogenic diet – which is high in fat, very low in carbohydrates, and moderate in protein – aims to shift the body into ketosis, a state where it relies on ketone bodies rather than glucose for energy.

Research has shown the ketogenic diet helps people lose weight more quickly and effectively compared to high-carbohydrate diets, without increasing short-term cardiovascular risk. Beyond shedding weight, it also improves insulin sensitivity and helps manage blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. However, its effects are not the same for everyone. Studies reveal men often lose more weight and body fat on the ketogenic diet than women.

This difference appears to be linked to biological factors, including genetic variation, hormonal balance involving testosterone and estrogen, and differences in how fat and muscle are distributed in the body. Social and psychological influences may also play a role. This review brings together current research to explore why these sex-based differences exist and what they might mean for designing better weight loss strategies. By understanding these differences, the authors hope to encourage more personalized and effective treatment approaches for obesity that consider both men’s and women’s unique physiological profiles.

The review is based on a detailed literature search across major databases including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. The search focused on studies examining the ketogenic diet’s impact on weight loss and sex differences, while excluding non-English articles, reviews without unique insights, and studies without full-text access.

Reference:

8. July 2025. Open Access, Online Only. Nutrition and Metabolism. DOI: 10.3290/nm.c_23074. Pages 371–375. Language: English. Authors: Y. J., Y. M., L. L., Y. L., M. G., Q. W., X. C.