Apple or Pear: What Determines Your Body Shape After Gaining Weight?

Men and women gain weight differently. However, there are factors what makes fat reside in the body in a preferential way. For years, scientists have supported the fact that human body is categorized into three shapes.  The first shape, the apple shape, is common among men and is defined by the fat deposits on the middle section of the body, mostly on the abdomen. The second type, the pear shape, is common among women. This shape is caused by the fat deposited centred on hips and bottom. The third type is referred to as the “ovoid shape” which is observed in both men and women, and is characterized with an even distribution of fat across the body.


The characteristics of being overweight or underweight highly depend on numerous factors. Genetics, for instance, play an important role. You are genetically overweight if you have a family history of overweight parents or relatives. Likewise, the nervous system has a major role in controlling the overall body weight. Endorphins and serotonin hormones, for instance, transmits signals to the brain that induce the need to eat or to stop eating. Another factor is the CCK hormone that sends the brain signals decreasing the feeling of hunger.

Sex particular hormones also play major role in weight gain. For example; estrogens which are hormone behind of the typical female sexual characteristics influences the fat deposition in the pear-body shape, causing the fat to favour areas such as the hips, thighs, and belly. Testosterone(the male hormone), on the other hand, will cause the fat to be centred in the upper body and tummy.

Male(right) and female(left)
with apple/pear body shape

Recent studies have revealed that men's tendency towards the apple figure has risen in the past three decades years. This phenomenon is attributed to modern lifestyle that exposes people to increased amounts of estrogen-like substances  such as xenoestrogens. These substances can be found in plastics items, commercially prepared food, personal care products, herbicides, pesticides and even birth control pills, Exposure to these materials has contributed to the increased estrogen levels in men which results in an apple-shaped body.

There is a relationship between overall fat deposits and specific fat deposits. Fat around the body middle section is associated with visceral fat, therefore, abdominal fat is among the most serious health risk. Because of the excess amount of visceral fat that surround vital organs, individuals with apple-shaped body are at a greater risk of developing obesity-related diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer.

Likewise for women, the pear-oriented fat distribution is associated with hormonal imbalances. Since the body weight is centred at the bottom, the pear-shaped can hinder the person's movements and places him at risks of mechanical injuries, because most of their body fat is distributed around their hips, thighs and bottom.

Howover, when it comes to losing extra weight, women are at a disadvantage, as their physiological processes including hormonal changes and child birth, demand an extra of essential fat referred to as the "sex-specific fat", which is found in areas such as breasts and buttocks. Additionally, women have less calorie burning muscle than men, a characteristics that makes it harder for the female to achieve a trimmer figure.

The waist to hip ratio is a method is used to determine whether there are excessive amounts of upper/lower body fat. It is obtained by dividing the waist measurement by the hip measurement. The upper limits are .95 for men and .80 for women. Any amount exceeding these values is considered alarming, thus demand a weight management action.