| Apples and Pears: Getting to the Bottom of Fat Distribution and Obesity
What does it mean to be apple-shaped, or pear-shaped? More to the point, what do these body shapes have to do with obesity? The simplest way to explain obesity is the accumulation of fats in the body because there is an imbalance between the amount of calories taken in and the amount that is used for physical exertion. Therefore, it’s all about fats, and where it goes in the body.
Let’s talk about fat distribution. In general, women are “pear-shaped” because their hormones cause fats to be deposited in their buttocks, hips and thighs, whereas males are more “apple-shaped”, because fats accumulate around their bellies. This is not always the way of the world, as some men can become pear-shaped, and women can assume the shape of an apple too.
Doctors use a waist-to-hip ratio to determine whether an individual is pear- or apple- shaped. The narrowest point of the waist and the widest point of the hips are measured, and the former is divided by the latter. For instance, if a woman’s waist is 35 inches, and her hips are 46inches, the ratio would be 0.76. If a woman has a waist-to-hip ratio of above 0.8, or if a man has a ratio of more than 1.0, then they would be apple-shaped.
Being apple-shaped poses increased health risks because this means that the fats are accumulated around the abdomen, which predisposes an individual to obesity and other health problems associated with abdominal visceral fat. Being apple-shaped is found to be strongly linked to the development of diabetes and heart conditions.
However, having fat deposits in the buttocks and thighs isn’t exactly worry-free. Being pear-shaped may indicate one’s tendency to develop diabetes and high blood pressure.
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