New Study Uncovers a Surprising Health Risk for Pear-Shaped Women

By , SparkPeople Blogger
You're probably familiar with the terms "apple" and "pear" when they apply to body shapes. People who are apple shaped tend to carry their extra weight in the abdomen region, but usually have relatively slim arms and legs. Men tend to be apple shaped, but many women are, too. Pear shaped individuals, by contrast, tend to carry fat in their lower body: hips, butt, and thighs.

Besides making our fat stores seem cuter by naming them after fruit (hehe), it's important to know which shape you are because it can help you determine your disease risk. It's has long been established that apple shapes are less health because excess fat storage around the abdomen is associated with a higher risk of heart disease. Pear shapes are often touted as less risky—healthy, even—especially when compared to abdominal fat storage.

I'm a pear shape and always figured that I wasn't at risk for health problems as a result. Even if I gained weight in the future, it would likely be in my hips and thighs. "No biggie," I thought. "Pear shapes are healthier, even when they're overweight." So I thought. I was really surprised when I read about a new study published in the July 14 issue of Journal of the American Geriatric Society that associated fat storage in the lower body with its own set of health risks.

Researchers from Northwestern Medicine who studied 8,745 post-menopausal women (ages 65-79) as part of the Women's Health Initiative have made the first-ever connection between obesity, poorer cognitive function, and body shape. For every one-point increase in a woman's BMI, her memory score (on the Modified Mini-Mental Status Examination) dropped by one point. According to researchers, pear-shaped women experienced more deterioration in memory and brain function than apple-shaped women did.

Researchers speculate that hormones released by the predominant type of fat in the body can affect cognition and memory. Different kinds of fat release different hormones (called cytokines), which have unique effects on the body. In other words, apple fat is different than pear fat, and both have their own associated health risks thanks to the cytokines they release.

Storing fat in your lower body is often considered healthier, but it seems like pear shapes aren't at zero risk for problems. No matter where you store body fat, you're trading one set of health risks (cognitive decline) for another (heart disease and diabetes). I used to think that I was protected thanks to genes that make my body store fat in my hips and thighs, but apparently that isn't 100% true, according to this study. This is a good reminder that, in most cases, excess fat isn't good for us, no matter where it is stored. While we can't pick and choose where you body stores fat or where it loses it, we can do our best to control unwanted weight gain and drop excessive body fat to improve our health.

Are you an apple shape or a pear shape? Do the health concerns associated with your body shape concern you?