Body Shape Solutions for Weight Loss and Wellness

Introduction Show me a woman -- any woman -- and I can forecast her health destiny just by observing her body shape. I know who will probably die of heart disease or breast cancer, who will have a rough transition through menopause, who will likely end up with a broken hip, and who may not live long enough to celebrate her 70th birthday. I am rarely wrong. From my 30 years of clinical experience and a review of decades of research, I've discovered thatthe single most powerful predictor of a woman's future health is the shape of her body. All women's bodies can be categorized as either "apple-shaped" or "pear-shaped," depending on where they are most likely to put on fat, even if they aren't currently overweight. Women who tend to gain weight around their waists are said to have apple-shaped bodies because, like the fruit, their weight collects around their middles. Women who tend to add extra pounds around their hips, buttocks, and thighs are said to have pear-shaped bodies because, like the fruit, they are widest at the bottom. These terms have been around for decades, but they have mainly been used as physical descriptions, much the way we might say that a woman is blonde or brunette. Only now are we realizing the powerful physiologic effects of being either an "apple" or a "pear." Body shape is not something we get to choose; we have very little control over our basic underlying proportions. Contrary to popular belief, people don't develop a pear shape simply because they sit on their butts most of the time. The human body is not a loose bag of sand where the weight goes to our lowest point. If that were true, our feet would be the size of watermelons. These two shape categories are fundamental, genetically influenced patterns that affect much more than how we look in a bikini. Body shape is related to differences in our physical chemistry, hormone production and sensitivity, metabolism, and possibly even personality. Have you tried the latest fad diet but found you still couldn't lose weight while everyone else managed to drop two pant sizes? Chances are that particular diet wasn't right for your body shape. Ever wonder why some women suffer through intolerable hot flashes during menopause while others sail right through? Or why hormone therapy makes some women feel healthy and happy, while making other women feel bloated and irritable? Again, blame it on body shape. Our shape affects our likelihood of developing heart disease, osteoporosis, the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, stroke, varicose veins, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer. Body shape also gives clues to which adolescent girls are more likely to develop eating disorders, which types of exercise are best, and which emotions can physically change our shape. It even tells us our chances for living to be old enough to have to worry about nursing home care. Physicians and researchers have been talking about the importance of body shape for years, but this health message has not been fully explained to the people who can use it most -- women in general. The scientific information inApples & Pearshas never before been analyzed and collected in a single consumer publication, so what you are reading now is the cutting edge of women's health information. In the coming chapters, you will learn how and why different body shapes benefit from customized diets, exercise regimens, medications, menopause therapies, psychosocial interventions, and lifestyle changes. Women who follow the action items for better health will be able to transcend their biology to lose weight, increase energy, and decrease their risks for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer, and osteoporosis. In short, I'm going to tell you everything I know about how you can look great and feel wonderful, regardless of your current weight or body shape. Putting all the pieces of the body shape puzzle tSavard, Marie is the author of 'Body Shape Solutions for Weight Loss and Wellness ' with ISBN 9780743497145 and ISBN 0743497147.