Apple or Pear

Welcome to the maiden edition of the health and wellness corner and boy, what a topic to start off with J I am all excited and hope you are too.

So, what’s the 411 on apples and pears you would ask? Apples and pears describe body shapes. Are you an apple or a pear? Some might say they are neither, but the majority of us fall into either of these two categories. It simply refers to the fat distribution in our bodies. Fat mostly in the middle makes us rounded in the torso while fat around the thighs, presents a more rotund figure in that area. Individuals vary enormously, and women naturally carry more fat than men. We however, all tend to carry more fat as we get older, as we become less active and lose muscle. Please note we can’t all be built like supermodels (sadly so), but it’s necessary to heed on the side of caution due to the health risks associated with excessive body fat.

I bet you are checking which category you fall in about now…. I would give you a minute to do so…regardless of whether you are male or female. As it is usually said, a lie is a lie, no matter how small, the same applies to excessive fat storage, regardless of who you are; it is no respecter of persons and its health implications, like a habit grows silently until it stops us in our tracks. So, which one is more dangerous, fat around the middle or on the hips? Fat around the middle is.

Your appearance is important, affecting your confidence, self-esteem and self-image. Are you tired and frustrated with your body shape? Is the area from your bust to your groin defying all your attempts to shrink it? Do your clothes feel uncomfortable – maybe your skirts are too tight and ride up, or your blouse or shirt gapes and a ‘muffin top’ layer of fat spills over the waist band of your favourite jeans or suit trouser? Worst still, have you been asked innocently when your baby is due? If this is so, then this article is for you and will surely help you and countless other people to change your shape for good.

 Having fat around the middle can be dangerous as it has major health implications like increase in the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and high blood pressure. You don’t have to be over-weight to have fat around the middle, a lean person of normal weight can have a little too much in the centre of their body and this still carries risks.

Fat distribution in the body is dependent on the way our body works. Our body either burns food as energy or stores it as fat. In the apple or pear category, your body has decided to store your food as fat and also in one particular place. This is an indication of an imbalanced metabolism that needs to be investigated, and not managed by a simple weight-loss diet.

What we eat is important, no doubt, but we all need to change our body’s underlying biochemistry and let it know that it is alright to let go of the fat around the middle of your body. The plan of action should be to focus on our Nutrition, Supplements, Exercise and Lifestyle. Good attitude, effort and commitment guarantee success and though we might be clumsy at first, once we become familiar with a regime, it all becomes automatic and you do all four without it becoming a chore. Be sure to check with your doctor or healthcare provider before embarking on certain exercises and supplements.

We only have one life to live and unlike shoes or bags, iPods, iPads or pens that can be changed to the latest styles, we only get one body and surely, nothing beats good health. The ball is in your court, the choice is yours; let us begin to take responsibility for our health and make healthy, deliberate and effective changes to our lifestyle, a little at a time. Join me next week as we get to talk about “Why your body stores fat on the waist”. Cheers!