Healthy Living

with Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

 

Your Body Shape and Your Health

What do apples and pears have in common? Yes, they're both fruits, but when used to describe body shapes, there is a big difference. Did you know that the shape of your body is a strong predictor of future health risk?

Your body shape can contribute to a range of illnesses from diabetes, to heart disease to high cholesterol.

How familiar are you with these descriptive terms? While they are not official medical terminology, they represent an accurate, understandable visual. An "apple" has weight accumulation in the stomach and abdomen, referred to as central adiposity. A "pear" tends to have lower body-fat stores in the hips, thighs and buttocks.

Still not sure what you are? Think about shopping for clothes. If you're in the dressing room and have a hard time buttoning the pants or skirt, you are most likely an apple. Can't get the garment around your hips? Sounds as if you're a pear.

If you're seeking a more precise waist circumference (waistline) measurement, wrap a tape measure around your middle at the bellybutton level. A number greater than 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men) puts you at a health risk for heart disease and diabetes. Don't have a tape measure? Take your height in inches and divide it in half. If your waist is bigger than that number, you can be at risk. So, a 5-foot-4-inch woman (64 inches tall) should not have a waistline greater than 32. A 5-foot-10-inch man (70 inches tall) should aim for a waistline no greater than 35 inches to reduce health risk.

The good news is that wherever you tend to gain that weight - upper body or lower body - when you start losing, it will come off from that area first. So the way to go is with slow, steady weight loss. What we all need to acknowledge is that wherever the extra weight is deposited, it must be accepted. I speak with a lot of people who, in good faith, tell me their weight is fine "except for my stomach" or "except for my hips."

If you are an apple shape, your risk for metabolic syndrome - linked to high blood pressure, pre-diabetes and elevated cholesterol - rises, and even a few pounds around the middle can contribute to these symptoms. In fact, that "central body fat" associated with the "apple" shape is more likely to cause health problems than a similar amount of weight distributed around the hips and thighs for us "pears" (that's me!).

Here's the good news: Modest weight loss - just 5 percent to 10 percent of your starting weight; that's just 7 pounds for a 140-pound person - can offset these weight-related problems. I hope you'll look in the mirror and size yourself up to better health.

If you have a health question for Dr. Fernstrom, e-mail her at fernstrom@wqed.org.

 

Dr. Madelyn H. Fernstrom, Ph.D., C.N.S., is the founder and director of UPMC's Weight Management Center. She is the diet and nutrition editor for NBC's "Today Show" and is the author of The Runner's Diet. Also visit "Health Journal with Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom," a health and wellness blog at iVillage.com.