IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT, IT IS THEIR GENES... Why men are beer-bellied lazy stinkers
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THEY make up half of the population – but as Men’s Health Week kicks off today, how much do you know about blokes’ bodies?
From their greater chance of being struck by lightning to colour blindness – and even producing a strange smell – there are many weird and wonderful things about fellas.
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Here NADINE LINGE
takes a look at some surprising facts about men and their bods.
BLIND SIDED: Men are more likely to be colour blind – just like actor Keanu Reeves and former US President Bill Clinton. It affects around one in 12 men versus one in 200 women because it is passed down on the X chromosome. It only needs to appear on a man’s single X chromosome for him to be affected but it must be present on two for women. THIS STINKS: Guys emit a strange smell. Thanks to testosterone, men produce the pheromone androstenone through sweat and urine. This has a strong odour – a US study found 62% of people said it smelled like urine, others detected sweet vanilla and a third group couldn’t smell anything at all.
CELL SHORT: Blokes don’t tend to suffer from cellulite. They dodge the dreaded dimples as they are born with more developed muscles and their skin contains more collagen. They also gain muscle faster and their greater muscle mass helps them generate heat, explaining why females often feel the cold more.
MILK TRUTH: Men can lactate as they have mammary glands. It generally only occurs when something is wrong, such as an interference with the hormone which produces milk. And if you’ve wondered why men have nipples, it’s because they develop in the womb before the embryo becomes distinctly male or female.
LEFT IN: Chaps are more likely to be left-handed. Between 8-15% of the population are lefties but no-one knows why there are
more men than women. One theory relates it to X chromosomes like colour blindness, while another suggests testosterone might affect brain development between men and women. Simpsons creator Matt Groening is lefthanded – reflected in the hand Bart uses to write on the board in the opening titles. SLENDER CHANCE: Trying to shed the pounds? You’ll have more success if you’re a man. A fella’s body burns more calories delivering energy to the muscles and other organs, while the higher level of testosterone boosts metabolism. On the flip side, men store fat in their stomach – creating the beer belly.
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT: Blokes can also go through a male menopause – called an andropause – as they age. While testosterone levels dip as men get older, it’s more down to lifestyle issues such as stress, depression, bad diet, and too much booze. Symptoms include lack of energy, difficulty sleeping, poor concentration and mood swings.
STRIKE OUT: While the chance of getting struck by lightning is rare for anyone – estimates vary between odds of 300,000 to one and 10million to one – 80% of victims are men. Experts claim it’s because fellas are more likely to indulge in the main at-risk activities such as fishing, football
and golf.