Genetic lottery! Pear-shaped sisters stand up, these benefits you dare not think about

Review expert: Shen Yingjian, Director of the Nutrition Department of Hebei Yanda Hospital

For a long time, many people have been working hard to have a perfect body. Body types are roughly divided into apple-shaped, pear-shaped, hourglass-shaped, H-shaped, etc. What is the same is that no matter whether it is an apple-shaped or pear-shaped body, people are pursuing a more coordinated, well-proportioned, and more beautiful body. However, a recent study published in Nature Genetics shows that the pear-shaped body is actually a "genetic lottery." Is the pear-shaped body really more beneficial to people? How much "profit" is this "lottery ticket"? Let's find out.

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To some extent, the pear-shaped body is a genetic lottery.

Pear-shaped obesity is caused by the accumulation of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen, waist, thighs, buttocks and other parts of the body. Since the fat is mainly deposited on the buttocks and thighs, the lower body is fatter than the upper body and looks like a pear, so it is called pear-shaped obesity, also known as peripheral obesity.

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The latest research found that compared with the body mass index (BMI) that people usually know, the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR, waist-to-hip ratio = waist circumference ÷ hip circumference) is actually the most correlated with the risk of death, which means that people with a large waist-to-hip ratio have a higher risk of death. Moreover, the results of the study show that the positive correlation between waist-to-hip ratio and various mortality risks is not affected by BMI. In other words, even if a person's body mass index (BMI) is within the normal range, if the waist-to-hip ratio is too large, the mortality risk index will be greater. As shown in the figure, when the waist-to-hip ratio is 0.8, the mortality risk coefficient is around 0.9, and when the waist-to-hip ratio increases to 1.6, the mortality risk coefficient will increase to the original 20. The "beer belly" we often talk about is an example of a relatively large waist and hips. People with beer belly generally have a waist circumference that is one circle larger than the hip circumference, so the waist-to-hip ratio is naturally greater than 1, and the mortality risk coefficient also rises sharply.

Source丨Central fatness and risk of all cause mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of 72 prospective cohort studies. BMJ 2020; 370.

The pear-shaped body has a smaller waist and larger hip circumference, so it has more advantages in waist-to-hip ratio than the beer belly, apple-shaped body or other body types. The risk of death is lower than that of other body types, so people with pear-shaped bodies are like they have won the genetic lottery.

The health difference between pear-shaped body and other body shapes

Apple-shaped bodies are more likely to suffer from diabetes and heart disease than pear-shaped bodies. This is because the fat of apple-shaped bodies is more accumulated in the upper part of the body, that is, the belly and waist. The types of accumulated fat can be divided into subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. The subcutaneous fat in the waist and abdomen squeezes the chest and abdominal organs, which can easily affect the normal function of the internal organs. Too much subcutaneous fat in the waist and abdomen can affect the blood supply to the heart and head, thereby causing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases due to insufficient blood supply to the heart and brain. At the same time, too much subcutaneous fat can also cause endocrine disorders and increase the risk of cancer. As the name suggests, visceral fat is fat attached to the internal organs. This fat can easily cause people to suffer from diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and other diseases, so an apple-shaped body is not a beneficial body shape for people.

The H-shaped body is often considered to be a good body shape because the measurements of the chest, waist and hips do not change significantly and there is no obvious fat accumulation. But in fact, this is not the case. As time goes by, due to the lack of fat and other substances attached to the bones, the bones lack the vitamin D and calcium required for normal metabolism. Therefore , the bone density of people with H-shaped bodies will gradually decrease, and it is difficult for muscles to attach to the bones, making them prone to symptoms such as osteoporosis.

The fat of a pear-shaped body is mainly stored in the lower limbs. Studies have shown that people with thicker thigh circumference have a lower risk of heart disease, while people with smaller thigh circumference (less than 51cm for men and less than 50cm for women) have an increased risk of high blood pressure, so a pear-shaped body naturally has a lower risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

But the pear-shaped body is not so perfect. Because the pear-shaped body has more fat stored in the lower limbs, the burden on the bones is heavier, and it is easy to suffer from some bone diseases, such as arthritis and osteoporosis.

Source: Cui Xiaoyue, Mu Hong. Analysis of body cognition and dress style preference of female college students[J]. Shandong Textile Science and Technology, 2021(5):46-49.

How to self-check if you have a pear-shaped body

The official waist circumference inspection method released by the World Health Organization is: stand with your legs 25-30 cm apart, wrap the tape measure around 1 cm above the navel, and the measured value is the normal waist circumference of a person.

Hip circumference is measured by putting a tape measure around the widest part of the hips when standing with legs together. When the waist-to-hip ratio of boys is greater than or equal to 0.9 and that of girls is greater than or equal to 0.85 , you should be aware that the risk of death is already high. You should pay attention to changing some bad living habits to reduce the risk of disease . The pear-shaped body is not only affected by genetic factors such as the innate "gene lottery" bones, but also closely related to acquired exercise, diet, and living habits.

If you want to reduce your waist-to-hip ratio, the best way is to exercise properly and pay attention to the right diet structure. On the premise of ensuring adequate nutrition, eat more vegetables, mushrooms, fish and shellfish, tofu, low-fat foods, and try to eat half of the usual rice or noodles. It is very important to reduce waist circumference. The waist circumference of adult men should be less than 85 cm, while that of women should be less than 80 cm . The waist contains organs such as liver, gallbladder, kidney, large and small intestines, etc. Excessive fat accumulation in the waist will lead to fat accumulation on the internal organs, thus causing some diseases. If you want to reduce your waist circumference, you can do some local exercises for the waist, such as plank support and Russian twists. If you want to increase your hip circumference appropriately, you need to cooperate with appropriate exercises. Squats can activate the gluteal muscles, exercise the gluteal muscle groups, enhance the stability of the lower limbs, and speed up people's metabolism. In addition, local exercises such as dumbbell exercises, sit-ups, supine leg raises, prone head raises, and forward bends are also good choices. But even if you have a pear-shaped body, you should not take it lightly. Although fat accumulation around the buttocks is better for the human body than fat accumulation in other places, too much fat is harmful to the body. Whether you have a pear-shaped body, an apple-shaped body or other types of body, you should maintain a reasonable diet and proper exercise according to your physical condition and health status to have a perfect and healthy body.