eli5 – Why do some obese men get rock hard giant bellies, but you rarely if ever see rock hard bellies on obese women?

Question

Every obese woman that I have ever known has maintained a soft squishy belly, while men seem to get these rock hard beach balls attached to them. What is the difference in male and female bodies that makes this happen?

In: 2315

Answer 1

Men store fat in their abdomen. Women, because of the child birth thing, the fat stores there can get in the way, so they store it out of the way – in the butt and hips. It’s an adaptation to make room.

I suppose there could be some adaptation for men as well – I don’t know hunting or some such. But the female aspect is much more clear.