Although your genes play a significant role in determining body shape, gender and age are also factors. Women typically store fat around their hips and buttocks, giving them a pear shape. However, when estrogen levels wane after menopause, fat begins to collect around the abdomen. This results in a more rounded, apple shape.
Men do not develop a pear shape when their level of body fat is too high. Instead, they store it around the waist, forming the rounded shape of an apple.
The health risks of being apple shaped
People who carry excess fat around the abdomen tend to develop more health problems related to obesity. The problem is not so much the excess fat on the outside of the body, but the associated hidden fat that lies inside the body, and surrounds the internal organs. This fat is known as intra-abdominal fat or visceral fat. Its presence is undesireable because it increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, elevates blood pressure, raises cholesterol, increases risk for diabetes, aggravates sleep apnea and can contribute to the development of certain hormonal cancers such as breast cancer.
Even people who are slim may have intra-abdominal fat. This is particularly true for post-menopausal women. If you think you may be an “apple,” it is very important to reduce the excess fat through a targeted nutritional program and increased activity level.
Metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is the term used to describe a group of conditions that puts people at elevated risk of developing cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. The dominant risk factors for metabolic syndrome are abdominal obesity and insulin resistance—a metabolic disorder in which the body is unable to use insulin efficiently. Genetics, advancing age and lifestyle factors, including a high-fat diet and inactivity, also appear to play a role.
A person is considered to have metabolic syndrome if he or she has a combination of three or more of the following health risks:
- elevated blood pressure
- elevated blood sugar levels
- excess body weight in the abdominal area
- low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol
- high levels of blood triglycerides
Although each of these factors alone can increase a person's risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke, the risk is significantly greater when these factors are found in combination. Approximately 25 percent of Canadians are believed to have metabolic syndrome to some degree. People of First Nations and South Asian descent have higher rates of metabolic syndrome than Caucasians.
Prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome
Even small improvements in eating habits and physical activity level can improve the conditions associated with metabolic syndrome, and reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease. These include sticking to healthy eating habits (reduced intake of saturated fats and transfats, increased intake of vegetables and whole grains), and incorporating a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic activity into your daily routine. Additionally, you should aim to build your muscles with weights twice a week, since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat. It is also important to have your blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels regularly tested.
If you are shaped more like an apple than a pear, you may wish to attend a London Drugs Nutrition and Your Metabolism clinic to help develop an eating plan and activity program to assist you in losing those excess fat pounds.