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You can’t help your body shape. It’s based largely on genetic make up and , as mew Swedish research shows, dictates where you store fat, what illnesses you may be prone to, and what exercise you need. But you can maximinse the advantages of your shape.
Here, we look at how three more women’s body shapes affect their health now and in years to come.
Body shape: Triangular
With their broad shoulders and narrow waist, triangular types are often labelled as having a swimmer’s body.
Rebecca Walker, 30, is a professional dancer from Southampton. She is 5ft 9in, has 37in hips and a 34C bust.
Health check:
I’m quite healthy and I don’t have a sweet tooth. I eat pasta most days. I don’t eat much fruit, nor many fresh vegetables. I don’t smoke, but I do drink a couple of glasses of red wine a day. I have a lot of muscle from doing yoga twice a week.
The doctor:
This is a very good shape to be. With their large proportion of muscle and good height to weight ratio, the triangular shape has a high metabolism and does not gain fat easily.
However, if they eat a diet laden with fat, they will be making themselves prone to heart disease, while excessive exercise can lead to a greater risk of osteoporosis.
Nutritionist:
Those with a triangular shape tend to have a very hard-working adrenal gland, so they are very active and prone to cravings for instant energy-giving foods such as salty or savoury carbohydrate snacks.
Rebecca eats too much pasta and carbohydrates because she is letting her natural cravings for instant energy-giving foods dictate her diet. More protein from fish, seeds and eggs will give her sustained energy and control cravings.
Fitness expert:
With a naturally strong and athletic upper body, activities like swimming, tennis and other racquet sports come fairly easily. Cycling, a Spinning class or indoor rowing should be included to build tone in the lower body, too.
Body shape: apple
Most likely to develop with age, the apple shape bears the classic appearance of the middle-age spread. Fat tends to gather around the waist, giving a barrel-like tummy.
Rochelle Sheppard, 38, is a jeweller from Leeds. She is 5ft 8in, has 42in hips and a 38C bust.
Health check:
I don’t eat any fruit, although I do eat lots of vegetables. I have a takeaway three or four times a week, and I tend to snack on crisps between meals. I drink red wine most nights.
I have bursts of exercising and then lapse back into doing nothing. My mother was quite well-built and had a tendency to put on weight, too.
The doctor:
The vital factor with fat is its location. If you’re storing it around your middle, you could be asking for trouble, as this type of fat constantly breaks down and circulates in the blood, giving a higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Nutrtionist:
Apple shapes tend to crave starchy, flour-based foods, such as bread, as well as high-fat spicy foods and salty wheat snacks. This body type is prone to diabetes, stroke, IBS and digestive problems, constipation and water retention.
Often this body type benefits from cutting wheat from their diet, as this mediates blood sugar levels and also lessens bloating. They are better suited to a high-protein diet with minimal carbohydrates and plenty of fibre.
Fitness expert:
Any type of aerobic activity will help to reduce the layer of fat Rochelle is carrying. Swimming is perfect, and weight training would help, too.
Body shape: pear
This classic shape, bemoaned by women worldwide, is prone to accumulating fat around their bottom and thighs.
Claire Boyes, 25, is a sales assistant from Shepperton, Surrey. She is 5ft 8in, has 40in hips and a 34B bust.
Health check:
I eat quite a lot of bread, and although I don’t snack much, I’ll have crisps with my lunch.
I go to the gym once a week. Because I am in sales, I spend a lot of my time sitting in a car. My mother is the same shape and size as me, so I think the pear shape is inherited.
The doctor:
It’s much health-ier to be a Pear than an Apple. Fat deposits on the hips are less likely to travel around the body, reducing the risk of heart disease, angina and diabetes.
However, carrying extra weight on the hips can lead to osteoarthritis, and fat is more likely to appear as cellulite.
Nutritionist:
Pear-shaped physiques crave sweet-creamy or starchy foods. Claire’s natural body shape is accentuated by her sedentary lifestyle, so she needs to significantly cut down her fat intake.
She will be prone to ovarian cancer, breast cysts and endometriosis. Heart conditions and strokes are more rare.
Fitness expert:
To streamline her thighs, it is important Claire does some exercise that will work the major leg muscles, such as running or power walking.