Apples and Pears Why is it that women and men tend not to store fat in the same places?
The answer lies in the genes we have inherited.
Heredity seems to influence where fat settles and there appear to be two general body shapes labeled apples and pears.
Apples mostly men,
Have beer belly profiles and they carry the extra pounds in the upper torso and around the abdomen.
On the other hand,
Pears,
Usually women,
Collect excess weight below the waist in chunky hips,
Fannies and thighs.
Why is this?
Well,
Fat distribution appears to be related to the balance of female and male hormones in the body.
For example,
Apple women,
Those who put on weight along the male pattern,
Tend to have higher than normal levels of male hormones.
These women usually appear to be more masculine than our normal definition of female.
This also holds true for men who carry extra weight along the female pattern.
They tend to have higher than normal levels of female hormones.
Medically,
It is better to be a pear than an apple.
This is because apples carry an unfair share of the health risk.
Also,
There are small molecules called alpha and beta receptors on the surfaces of fat cells.
The alpha receptors stimulate fat accumulation and the beta receptors stimulate fat breakdown.
It has been found that the fat cells on women's hips and thighs tend to have predominantly alpha receptors,
Which means they tend to hold on to fat.
It is these receptors that determine when you lose fat wear,
And there is nothing you can do to change this genetically determined pattern.
The only time this pattern changes is after menopause when women tend to put on weight along the male pattern due to hormonal changes.
If you are an experienced dieter,
I am sure you have discovered that you always lose weight in the same order and put it on in the reverse order.
Now you know why this is so.
It appears your shape will remain fairly consistent over time.
However,
When you reach your appropriate weight,
You will be a smaller version of either the apple or the pear.
