Losing weight is hard. But it's harder for some people more so than others due to a variety of factors: age, activity level, hormones¹, starting weight, sleep patterns, and yes-height.

减肥是件很困难的事情。但由于各种原因--年龄、活动水平、荷尔蒙、初始体重、睡眠模式，当然还有身高--有些人的减肥历程比他人更为困难。

You've probably heard that it's more difficult for people who are shorter to lose weight. And if you're on the shorter side, maybe you've even experienced this firsthand. But is it really harder or does it just seem that way because again, losing weight ISN'T easy? And if so, why?! We talked to weight-loss experts to investigate.

你可能听过这样的说法：个子矮的人更难减肥。如果你是矮个子，那你可能对此深有体会。但事实果真如此吗？是不是因为减肥本身就不容易呢？若如此，那又是为何？我们与减肥专家进行了交流，一探究竟。

Fact or Fiction: It's Harder for Shorter Women to Lose Weight

事实还是谣言：矮个子的女性更难减肥？

So, let's get this out of the way: "Sorry to say it, but it's true that shorter women have to consume fewer calories to lose weight than taller friends if all other factors are equal," says Luiza Petre, M.D., a board-certified cardiologist who specializes in weight loss. In other words, the harsh reality is that even if you have the same activity level and the same level of overall health, your taller friend is going to be able to eat more and still lose more weight than you, a shorter person, can. And because you have to eat fewer calories to see weight-loss results (or to maintain your weight), it can feel ~a lot~ harder, she says.

一起来解决这个难题吧："很抱歉这么说，但是，矮个子女性的确需要比高个子女性摄入更少的卡路里才能减肥（前提是其它因素相同的情况下），"路易莎·彼得医学博士说道，她是减肥方面的专家，也是一位持证心脏病专家。换言之，如果你和你的高个子朋友有着相同的活动水平，整体健康状况也都一样，但他/她却可以吃得比你多且瘦得比你快。由于你需要摄入较少的卡路里才能看到减肥成效（或保持体重），所以你会觉得更困难，她说道。

The reason this is true is actually pretty simple: "The more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism² works. Taller people have more muscle mass because they are born with it simply because of their height," explains Shari Portnoy, a registered dietitian³. Your lean muscle mass has an impact on your basal metabolic⁴ rate (BMR), which determines how many calories your body burns at rest. The more lean muscle you have, the higher your BMR will be, and the more you can eat. Of course, activity level plays a role here, too, but the higher your BMR is, the less work you have to do to account for extra calories eaten.

原因非常简单："肌肉质量越多，新陈代谢的速度就会越快。高个子天生拥有更多的肌肉质量，因为他们身高高啊，"注册营养师Shari Portnoy解释道。瘦肌肉质量会对你的基础代谢率带来影响，而这又决定了身体休息时燃烧的卡路里量。瘦肌肉质量越多，基础代谢率就会越高，你可以摄入的食物就会越多。当然，活动水平也起到了一定作用，但基础代谢率越高，燃烧额外卡路里所需的运动量就会越少。