Many people want to lose weight these days. Obesity and being overweight has reached epidemic proportions. There are many aesthetic reasons why people want to lose weight as they want to look good and fit into their jeans but the most important reason to lose weight is for health reasons.
We all carry our excess fat a little differently. One person may have thunder thighs with a large butt and a smaller upper body so she is shaped like a pear, while the next person will carry it all around the middle, in the abdominal region so that she is shaped more like an apple on a stick. The way we carry our fat contributes greatly to our good health.
The pear-shaped women, who carry all of their excess weight in their butt and thighs, are at a health advantage over the apple shaped women. While they may have more trouble finding "jeans that fit" and they may struggle with body image just as much as the apple-shaped woman, they do not have the same health issues to contend with. The fat they carry on their butts and thighs is not necessarily detrimental to their health.
Apple shaped women, who carry the excess weight in their abs and middle are at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes and other health problems. The problem is that the fat accumulates around the internal organs and prevents their bodies from functioning as well as possible. A pear-shaped woman does not have this problem because of course there are no internal organs in our butts and thighs!
To determine if you are an apple or a pear, you must compute your waist-hip ratio. Divide your waist in inches by your hips in inches and if the result is o.8 or less you are considered to be a pear. If the result is more than 0.8 then you are an apple shape. For example a 28 inch waist divided by a 38 inch hip is 0.73 a pear, while a 32 inch waist divided by the same 38 inch hip is 0.84 or an apple.
While a pear may lament her big butt and thunder thighs it is typically more of a body image problem, while the apple can be facing some very serious health risks. Exercise and a wise diet are crucial if you are apple shaped and losing even as little as 2 inches off your waist can improve your health risks. If you are shaped like and apple, increase your cardio and concentrate on consuming a diet rich in fiber by consuming more fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, and lean protein sources such as fish and skinless chicken.
One advantage that an apple-shaped woman has is that the fat that accumulates in the abdominal region tends to come off much faster than the fat that accumulates in the butt and thighs. The fat in the butt and thighs is much more stubborn and it will require much more diligence with dieting and exercise to finally come off.
We cannot control our body type and how we carry our excess fat but we can do whatever is possible to lose weight and gain health.
