Shape Affects Health Risk

Where a person carries his excess weight is a determinant of overall health risk. Men or women who store fat around their stomach or middle portion of the body are at greater risk of complications than those who

carry weight on their hips, thighs, or buttocks. This is largely because the fat accumulation around the vital bodily organs is more critical than that which accumulates around the legs and thighs. Often compared to the shape of an apple or a pear, body shapes are important in assessing future risk of obesity-related health concerns.

You can determine where your fat accumulates and if you are shaped more like an apple or a pear by calculating your waist-to-hip ratio. Measure your waist at the narrowest spot. Then measure your hips at the widest spot. Divide the inches from the waist measurement by the inches of the hip measurement. For example, a person with a 38-inch waist and 40-inch hips would calculate her ratio like so: 38 divided by 40 = 0.95. A person with a 30-inch waist and 40-inch hips would calculate as 30 divided by 40 = 0.75. Women with ratios lower than 0.80 and men with ratios lower than 1.0 are considered "pear-shaped." Women who have a ratio greater than 0.80 and men who have a ratio of greater than 1.0 are considered "apple-shaped." They are therefore at greater health risk due to their body shape and fat distribution.