It should be common knowledge that men and women store and carry fat in different areas; one need only look around to see this. In general, women tend to put on fat on their hips, legs, and buttocks while men tend to store primarily in their waistline. Scientists call the shapes in men android or apple and the pear shape that most women have they call the gynoid. The third type of shape is androgynous, meaning appearing on males and females which is an overall coverage of body fat. Someone who is prone to being overweight may be subject to factors such as a genetic predisposition to gain weight that comes from their parents, an under active thyroid, or as seen in recent news reports may even be infected with a virus that predisposes them to weight gain. Fat distribution seems to be influenced by age, genetics, and race, but even more so it is governed by hormones that are specific to each gender. The estrogen hormones in women call for fat to be stored in the aforementioned pear shape while the testosterone in men leads to fat storage in the abdomen and even right above the hips. It is not news to anyone that excessive body fat is bad for ones health but the way that fat is stored and where it is stored affects the function and health of specific organs. There are two types of fat, subcutaneous, which is under the skin and visceral, which is around the organs. Having excess fat around the abdomen is from visceral fat which tells us that abdominal fat is the most dangerous risk to our health. One of the easiest ways to determine excessive fat deposits is the waist to hip ratio measurement. The way you get this is by dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement. The maximum for men is .95 for men and .80 for women. If your results are above this you need to take steps to reduce your weight. If you are an apple shape you are prone to a variety of diseases related to obesity such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, arthritis, and more. Pear shapes are more prone to hip and knee problems and limitations in movement due to the accumulation of fat in the lower body. Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman you should take the waist to hip ratio test and if you are over it you should begin a weight loss program immediately. |
