Fat Accumulation Areas in Women

While it is necessary to have some body fat in order to sustain health, women are genetically predisposed to have a higher percentage of body fat than their male counterparts. One distinction between how women gain fat and how men gain fat is the location in which the fat settles. Generally, men are more likely to accumulate fat in the abdominal region while women accumulate fat around the buttocks, pelvis and thighs.
Hormonal Fluctuations
"Scientific American" published a May 2006 article in which Patrick J. Bird, dean of the College of Health and Human Performance at the University of Florida, explains that the rapid multiplication of fat cells is common amongst adolescent girls due to hormonal fluctuations. According to Bird, the rate at which adolescent girls produce fat cells is twice that of adolescent boys. The settlement of the fat cells was noticed mostly in the gluteal-femoral area, which includes the pelvis, buttocks and thighs. After adolescence, reproduction of fat cells came to a halt. However, cellulite is a condition often associated with excess fatty tissue. Cellulite is characterized as fat having a cottage cheese appearance and is commonly found on the thighs and buttocks. Women with higher levels of estrogen are more prone to cellulite as excess estrogen weakens the connective tissue, which allows the fat cells to protrude outwards.
Sex Roles
Bird explains that a lower basal fat oxidation rate may be one cause for the increase in fat cells in adolescent girls. Basal fat oxidation rate is a method that measures how the body, in its resting state, converts fat into energy. In order to efficiently fuel the body for certain gender-specific functions, such as breastfeeding, the body relies on fat for fuel. This explains why some women may experience difficulty in losing excess fat in the thigh region only to find that the fat melts right off once they give birth. During lactation, the body turns to the reserve fat cells for energy.
Evolution
According to Jorge Cruise, author of "3-Hour Diet on the Go," evolution is partly to blame for excess accumulation of fat cells on the thighs. The excess fat helped our ancestors survive through drought and famine. Women who were able to retain excess fat during these difficult times were more able to conceive and support the nursing baby than women without the proper fat storage.
Considerations
Although women are more prone to accumulating fat on their thighs than men, proper nutrition and regular physical activity may help to lessen the appearance of excess fat. Cruise recommends daily exercise as it may help to regulate hormonal levels, increase blood circulation to the thighs and improve the appearance of cellulite. Mayo Clinic suggests a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and lean meats and a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day to lose up to 1 pound of fat each week. The calorie deficit may come in the form of food restrictions or increased physical activity.