# Apple Shape is Greater Health Risk Than Pear Shape



## LJ Rock (Apr 3, 2007)

As there is still no specified "health forum" here, I figured this was the best place to post. Read this today and thought it was interesting. Figured I would share. 



> Apple Shape is Greater Health Risk Than Pear Shape
> 
> People who are "apple-shaped" tend to store excess body fat around their stomach and abdomen, while those with a "pear shape" tend to gain weight on their buttocks and thighs. Thus apple-shaped individuals have a greater risk of weight-related disorders and need to pay more attention to normalizing their weight. Where we store fat is largely the result of gender (men tend to be apple-shaped, women pear-shaped), or age (after menopause women become more apple-shaped). However, overconsumption of alcohol appears to increase fat accumulation around the stomach in both men and women.
> Waist Circumference is Guide to Abdominal Obesity



http://www.annecollins.com/abdominal-obesity.htm


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## Dr. Feelgood (Apr 3, 2007)

More dangerous still is the "ice-cream cone" shape, in which all the fat goes to the head...


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## saucywench (Apr 3, 2007)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> More dangerous still is the "ice-cream cone" shape, in which all the fat goes to the head...


View attachment 17726


View attachment 17727


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## Wagimawr (Apr 3, 2007)

Well so much for the belly-lovers. *sigh*


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## TheSadeianLinguist (Apr 3, 2007)

Wait-a-minute. Men in general tend to have more health issues, as do old people... I'm not saying it's entirely untrue, but it seems a smidge biased.


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## Miss Vickie (Apr 3, 2007)

As if any of us has control of our patterns of weight deposition.... 

Yeah, in general, it's considered true by the medical establishment that central obesity is worse because it involves visceral fat, which is particularly harmful. But since we don't really have control over where our fat goes, I wonder what benefit comes from studies like this?


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## saucywench (Apr 3, 2007)

Not to be confused with 
View attachment 17729



There's fatheads (or ice-cream-coneheads, if you will) and then there's meatheads.


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## LJ Rock (Apr 3, 2007)

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> Wait-a-minute. Men in general tend to have more health issues, as do old people... I'm not saying it's entirely untrue, but it seems a smidge biased.



Perhaps it does seem a bit biased. I guess it was just something I'd never thought about or heard discussed before. There's so much talk about the health risks of being fat, you don't often find any sort of serious medical discussion regarding a difference in the select areas of fat deposits or different body types (ie apples and pears.) 

And I don't know if it is statistically accurate to say that men have more health problems either (may entail more research on *my* part.) It can certainly be said that as people get older our health deteriorates to varying degrees. I guess its just interesting to note the effect that body type can have on us as we age. 

I guess I might as well state for anyone who may be percieving this post as in any being _anti-fat_ or whatever: not the case at all. Those few of you here who actually know me will know that just would never be so. Just thought it would make for some potential interesting and/or intelligent discussion. Nothing more.


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## SamanthaNY (Apr 3, 2007)

No worries, LJ - I think most everyone will understand that your post is in regards to health - something we all are (or hopefully are) interested in, fat or not. I for one always welcome posts regarding health, and look forward to a board where they can all reside. 

I have long heard of the apple shape and its supposed risks for health (as opposed to other body shapes). On the surface, it seems to makes some sense, but I'd be interested to see some long- term large-sample studies on it.... I imagine those would be very difficult to accurately qualify, however.


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## LJ Rock (Apr 3, 2007)

Miss Vickie said:


> As if any of us has control of our patterns of weight deposition....
> 
> Yeah, in general, it's considered true by the medical establishment that central obesity is worse because it involves visceral fat, which is particularly harmful. But since we don't really have control over where our fat goes, I wonder what benefit comes from studies like this?



You make a good point. I suppose it could be inferred that the only "benefit" of such information would be to the people who stand to gain monitarily by people's weight loss (ie the "diet industry" etc.) If we have no control over where our fat deposits end up, and fat deposits in certain areas can potentially be more harmful than others, then gosh, we'd better make sure we get rid of as much fat as we possibly can. Right?

Then again, by saying that "pears" are relatively "safer" than "apples," is this in some ways letting certain folks "off the hook" as it were? One could look at it that way.

In any case, if knowing this information allows us as individuals to become more aware of our bodies and make decisions based on our individual needs, it can't be an entirely bad thing. Could it?


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## TheSadeianLinguist (Apr 3, 2007)

In fairness, I spoke too quickly. On the whole, more men tend to suffer from things like heart disease and live shorter lives.

It is interesting, and I think it's interesting to discuss. Didn't mean to act as though I was dismissing it. Just another tangent, y'know. 

Some of where fat goes is controlled by hormones. Yep, exercise and good diet can do a lot, but like Miss Vickie said, some of it's beyond our control.



LJ Rock said:


> Perhaps it does seem a bit biased. I guess it was just something I'd never thought about or heard discussed before. There's so much talk about the health risks of being fat, you don't often find any sort of serious medical discussion regarding a difference in the select areas of fat deposits or different body types (ie apples and pears.)
> 
> And I don't know if it is statistically accurate to say that men have more health problems either (may entail more research on *my* part.) It can certainly be said that as people get older our health deteriorates to varying degrees. I guess its just interesting to note the effect that body type can have on us as we age.
> 
> I guess I might as well state for anyone who may be percieving this post as in any being _anti-fat_ or whatever: not the case at all. Those few of you here who actually know me will know that just would never be so. Just thought it would make for some potential interesting and/or intelligent discussion. Nothing more.


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## SamanthaNY (Apr 3, 2007)

LJ Rock said:


> You make a good point. I suppose it could be inferred that the only "benefit" of such information would be to the people who stand to gain monitarily by people's weight loss (ie the "diet industry" etc.) If we have no control over where our fat deposits end up, and fat deposits in certain areas can potentially be more harmful than others, then gosh, we'd better make sure we get rid of as much fat as we possibly can. Right?
> 
> Then again, by saying that "pears" are relatively "safer" than "apples," is this in some ways letting certain folks "off the hook" as it were? One could look at it that way.
> 
> In any case, if knowing this information allows us as individuals to become more aware of our bodies and make decisions based on our individual needs, it can't be an entirely bad thing. Could it?



I think there's a tremendous benefit in knowing what prevalent illnesses to look for and possibilities to be prepared for. It's another tool in managing health, much like family history or genetic markers, etc. I question whether it's really being proven out with real statistics yet - but I have to consider it a benefit to at least be alerted to the possibility of certain shape-conditional risks.

ETA: Individual control over our bodies and shapes may be limited, but how we deal with the information it supplies needn't be.


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## LJ Rock (Apr 3, 2007)

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> In fairness, I spoke too quickly. On the whole, more men tend to suffer from things like heart disease and live shorter lives.
> 
> It is interesting, and I think it's interesting to discuss. Didn't mean to act as though I was dismissing it. Just another tangent, y'know.
> 
> Some of where fat goes is controlled by hormones. Yep, exercise and good diet can do a lot, but like Miss Vickie said, some of it's beyond our control.



It is true that in general, men tend to have shorter life spans than women. I can only imagine there are many reasons why this might be true. However, medical statistics also show us that heart disease is a leading cause (and in some studies, the number one cause) of death among women. 

I wonder if genetics too might have a lot to do with where our fat goes. I guess it would stand to reason that if we come from a long line of "apples" or "pears" that the fruit won't fall far from the tree.


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## LJ Rock (Apr 3, 2007)

SamanthaNY said:


> ETA: Individual control over our bodies and shapes may be limited, but how we deal with the information it supplies needn't be.



Well said, Samantha.


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## The Obstreperous Ms. J (Apr 3, 2007)

There is a 100% rate of fatality regardless of shape, age, or whatever.

Move on, nothing to see here.


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## imfree (Apr 3, 2007)

LJ Rock said:


> As there is still no specified "health forum" here, I figured this was the best place to post. Read this today and thought it was interesting. Figured I would share.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.annecollins.com/abdominal-obesity.htm


 I'm 51 years old, 412 lbs, 5'8" tall, and more than 65" around the middle. By that central-obesity reasoning, I should already be dead.


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## LJ Rock (Apr 3, 2007)

The Obstreperous Ms. J said:


> There is a 100% rate of fatality regardless of shape, age, or whatever.



There is no disputing this. You are absolutely correct about that, Ms. J.  I think that there is something to be said though for living to a reasonably ripe old age, as well as the quality of life and level of physical pain we are made to endure in our final years.


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## tonynyc (Apr 3, 2007)

Aside from body types and BMI - heredity and quality of life plays a role


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## Tooz (Apr 3, 2007)

I didn't read everything on here, but seriously, why post this here? Might just make apples (SUCH AS MYSELF WHO HAS HAD A HORRIBLE DAY, MIGHT I ADD) worried MORE for their health, and we all know that stress is more unhealthy than a lot of things.


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## LJ Rock (Apr 3, 2007)

Tooz, I am sorry to hear you had a bad day... mine has been less than stellar as well, if it's any consolation. 

Perhaps it was a mistake to post this here. As I said earlier, my intention was to bring to light an issue that I personally had never contemplated before in hopes of engaging in some meaningful discussion about an issue relating to people's health. Since there really isn't a specific place here in Dimensions to present such discussion, I opted to post it here on the Main Board. It certainly was not to make anyone feel bad or stress out over anything. 

Personally, I am concerned about my own health too. Not only as it relates to my wieght, but overall. I feel talking about my concerns helps me to deal and get some perspective, maybe learn a thing or two. 

In any case, my apolgies to anyone for whom this contribution has rubbed the wrong way. If this post really isn't adding anything to the general discussion then let it be stricken. No skin off my nose. 

Let's all have a better day tomorrow, shall we?


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## SamanthaNY (Apr 3, 2007)

I can see where less-than-positive health news - and like we don't have enough of that already - can be a drag sometimes (and sorry it's adding to your bad day, Tooz), but I'd rather see it and be informed, than not see it and be surprised. 

Forewarned is forearmed.

Hey, another bonus to the proposed Health Forum... when it's finally up and running, those that want to avoid health stuff (or find it) can do so easily.


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## LJ Rock (Apr 3, 2007)

SamanthaNY said:


> I can see where less-than-positive health news - and like we don't have enough of that already - can be a drag sometimes (and sorry it's adding to your bad day, Tooz), but I'd rather see it and be informed, than not see it and be surprised.
> 
> Forewarned is forearmed.
> 
> Hey, another bonus to the proposed Health Forum... when it's finally up and running, those that want to avoid health stuff (or find it) can do so easily.



And not that this "news" should be taken at face value either. As we all can attest to here, doctors and scientists don't know *everything*. Do they now? It could be all bullshit. Afterall, it is just one article I found on the interweb today. Maybe some differing opinions or data found to the contrary could be presented here?


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## SamanthaNY (Apr 3, 2007)

Another good point, LJ. We often know better than a lot of researchers anyway. Even if it's crap though, I'd rather hear about it than not - you never know when a half-baked idea with take off into something really meaningful. 

Wouldn't it be a cool idea for the Health Forum if we compiled our OWN health database (anonymous of course, voluntary participation)... with such a concentrated group, I bet that would be really valuable in terms of examining health issues that may or may _not _be associated with obesity. An interesting thought.


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## crazygrad (Apr 3, 2007)

They've been talking about this for years, and numerous studies reflect that abdominal fat is more dangerous than that on other parts of the body for several different reasons. Indeed, some recent research even links the deleterious effects of stress on the body with excess belly fat in several ways.

As depressing as health info can be, I tend to be of the opinion that knowledge is power. If you know that certain factors and/or behaviors increase your risks for a variety of problems, you can take steps to protect yourself. For example, you may not be able to lose weight, but a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise can help stave off health problems. It can help manage stress and give one strength to better handle any number of daily tasks. So we can't necessarily control where fat settles but we can help manage some of the effects of being fat.


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## TheSadeianLinguist (Apr 3, 2007)

I've wondered about genetics myself. I got my blue eyes and pear shape from the milkman though.  Everyone else is an apple and dark.



LJ Rock said:


> It is true that in general, men tend to have shorter life spans than women. I can only imagine there are many reasons why this might be true. However, medical statistics also show us that heart disease is a leading cause (and in some studies, the number one cause) of death among women.
> 
> I wonder if genetics too might have a lot to do with where our fat goes. I guess it would stand to reason that if we come from a long line of "apples" or "pears" that the fruit won't fall far from the tree.


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## LJ Rock (Apr 3, 2007)

TheSadeianLinguist said:


> I've wondered about genetics myself. I got my blue eyes and pear shape from the milkman though.  Everyone else is an apple and dark.



Oh, that milkman does get around doesn't he? Lovely set of eyes on him though. lol


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## LJ Rock (Apr 3, 2007)

crazygrad said:


> They've been talking about this for years, and numerous studies reflect that abdominal fat is more dangerous than that on other parts of the body for several different reasons. Indeed, some recent research even links the deleterious effects of stress on the body with excess belly fat in several ways.
> 
> As depressing as health info can be, I tend to be of the opinion that knowledge is power. If you know that certain factors and/or behaviors increase your risks for a variety of problems, you can take steps to protect yourself. For example, you may not be able to lose weight, but a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise can help stave off health problems. It can help manage stress and give one strength to better handle any number of daily tasks. So we can't necessarily control where fat settles but we can help manage some of the effects of being fat.




Good point and well stated. I would suspect the argument that one can be fat or "overweight" and still maintain good health largely depends on this very thing.


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## Tooz (Apr 3, 2007)

SamanthaNY said:


> Hey, another bonus to the proposed Health Forum... when it's finally up and running, those that want to avoid health stuff (or find it) can do so easily.



I would love to see a health forum added.


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## Ned Sonntag (Apr 3, 2007)

Tooz said:


> I would love to see a health forum added.


"overconsumption of alcohol appears to increase fat accumulation around the stomach..." My late wife was very fat by the age of three and drinker by halfway thru high school. A fifth of Georgi Vodka was the drug of choice... she for the most part dried out during the summer of '85 but the damage was done.. she was very apple-y. We need an Alky Board, too!


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## saucywench (Apr 3, 2007)

LJ Rock said:


> As there is still no specified "health forum" here, I figured this was the best place to post. Read this today and thought it was interesting. Figured I would share.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.annecollins.com/abdominal-obesity.htm


Here's a recent peer-reviewed article by obesity researchers:
Diabetes. 2007 Apr;56(4):1010-3. Epub 2007 Feb 7.

[SIZE=+1]*Visceral fat adipokine secretion is associated with systemic inflammation in obese humans.*[/SIZE]

*Fontana L*, *Eagon JC*, *Trujillo ME*, *Scherer PE*, *Klein S*.

Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8031, 660 South Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110. [email protected].

Although excess visceral fat is associated with noninfectious inflammation, it is not clear whether visceral fat is simply associated with or actually causes metabolic disease in humans. To evaluate the hypothesis that visceral fat promotes systemic inflammation by secreting inflammatory adipokines into the portal circulation that drains visceral fat, we determined adipokine arteriovenous concentration differences across visceral fat, by obtaining portal vein and radial artery blood samples, in 25 extremely obese subjects (mean +/- SD BMI 54.7 +/- 12.6 kg/m(2)) during gastric bypass surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Mean plasma interleukin (IL)-6 concentration was approximately 50% greater in the portal vein than in the radial artery in obese subjects (P = 0.007). Portal vein IL-6 concentration correlated directly with systemic C-reactive protein concentrations (r = 0.544, P = 0.005). Mean plasma leptin concentration was approximately 20% lower in the portal vein than in the radial artery in obese subjects (P = 0.0002). Plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha, resistin, macrophage chemoattractant protein-1, and adiponectin concentrations were similar in the portal vein and radial artery in obese subjects. These data suggest that visceral fat is an important site for IL-6 secretion and provide a potential mechanistic link between visceral fat and systemic inflammation in people with abdominal obesity.

PMID: 17287468 [PubMed - in process]
===================================
and this might make it a little more easily understood by the layman:
http://mednews.wustl.edu/tips/page/normal/8947.html
"Fontana believes the findings help explain how visceral fat can lead to inflammation, insulin resistance and other metabolic problems. And he says by contributing to inflammation, visceral fat cells in the abdomen may be doing even more than that. 
'Many years ago, atherosclerosis was thought to be related to lipids and to the excessive deposit of cholesterol in the arteries, 'Fontana says. 'Nowadays, it's clear that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. There also is evidence that inflammation plays a role in cancer, and there is even evidence that it plays a role in aging. Someday we may learn that visceral fat is involved in those things, too.'" 
===================================

My last several lab workups have shown an increase in C-reactive protein levels (last one was ok, though) and a consistent elevated WBC count, which is an indicator of infection or inflammation. After repeated rounds of antibiotics failed to reduce my WBC count, perhaps it can be attributed to IL-6 secretion. I don't know. I have mentioned it to my doctor before, but perhaps I should bring it up again. Oh, yeah--I am most definitely apple-shaped.


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## chickadee (Apr 3, 2007)

Interesting article! 

Good point about not having a lot of control over where your visceral fat goes. So according to this article, I'd have to lose a LOT of weight and look bony, just to get the fat away from my abdomen. (That is what happened in the past anyway- not good scene). I'll take my chances as an apple, thank you. I've got my regular healthy diet and healthy exercise and if I was to do any more, it would be in the excessive category.


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## Miss Vickie (Apr 3, 2007)

LJ Rock said:


> In any case, if knowing this information allows us as individuals to become more aware of our bodies and make decisions based on our individual needs, it can't be an entirely bad thing. Could it?



No, you're right. It's a good thing. I'm just battling the fact that people think they have control over their fat deposition (I'm a nurse and get asked how to spot reduce ALL the DAMN TIME). So it's frustrating to me because the implication for lots of folks is to try to reduce their tumkins, which can't really be done with any certainty. Losing weight is hard enough, but losing in a specific area? Good luck! 

OTOH, knowing the potential dangers is helpful; I just think that we all know all too well the dangers of obesity. Who can't recite them in their sleep? But supplying information is alway something I support. I wasn't upset with you, just the medico's who get half the information out there.



SamanthaNY said:


> Hey, another bonus to the proposed Health Forum... when it's finally up and running, those that want to avoid health stuff (or find it) can do so easily.



Yup. Sure would. And that's all I'll say on that subject lest I mouth off again and get into trouble. But I agree with you. Wholeheartedly.



saucywench said:


> Here's a recent peer-reviewed article by obesity researchers:
> Diabetes. 2007 Apr;56(4):1010-3. Epub 2007 Feb 7.
> 
> [SIZE=+1]*Visceral fat adipokine secretion is associated with systemic inflammation in obese humans.*[/SIZE]



Interesting article, Saucywench. Thanks for bringing it up. It helps me understand a significant change in my autoimmune disease after my gastric bypass and subsequent 140 pound weight loss. Much of my weight was in my abdomen (Yep, apple here, which is probably why I responded so bitterly to the initial article), and as my autoimmune disease got worse, my abdominal girth also grew disproportionately to the rest of me. I went from an hourglass shape to an apple in just a few short years. Also at the same time I experienced hair loss and other symptoms of PCOS.

And yet, when I lost my weight, guess what? My Sarcoidosis symptoms have decreased dramatically. I still, from a clinical perspective anyway, have it. My labs are about the same, in any case. But my CRP is lower, and symptom-wise I'm probably 95% better than where I was. I thought it was maybe that I was misinterpreting the symptoms -- joint pain, shortness of breath and cough -- as being caused by my autoimmune disease when they were really related to my weight. But now I wonder if losing the weight has helped reduce that inflammation.

Hmmmmmmm.


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## BigBeautifulMe (Apr 4, 2007)

Another point of contention:

The way we think of apples and pears here is different than the way the researchers think of apples and pears.

(Please, no PMs from people I've never communicated with in regards to what I'm about to say )

Once your belly gets past a certain size, like mine, it hangs quite low. This gives you a "pear" shape because there's not as much fat where the belly "should" be. Though i call myself a pear, and I *look* like a pear, to the researchers I would be an apple, as my tummy is substantially larger than any other part of my body (and in proportion to my hips and thighs). I think.


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## Damon (Apr 4, 2007)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> More dangerous still is the "ice-cream cone" shape, in which all the fat goes to the head...



ahahahahahahh!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## imfree (Apr 4, 2007)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> More dangerous still is the "ice-cream cone" shape, in which all the fat goes to the head...


 As an apple-shape, I find little assurance in that. Still, I'm
kind'a glad not to be an "ice cream cone" shape!


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## Luvs2laff (Apr 5, 2007)

My question is a bit different than what has been in the rest of the thread, but I found it interesting to read that women tend to be pear shaped while men tend to be apple shaped. I have no idea whether the former is true (based on my albeit limited experience, it seems to me that it is close to a 50-50 split between apple and pear BBWs), but are there many (any?) truly pear shaped men? Every guy I know, myself included, seems to gain most in the belly area. I have larger than average hips/thighs (in relation to my waist - I base this on how big of a pain it can be to find pants that fit properly), but even so, my belly is bigger than my hips and thighs.

Maybe this goes back to BBMe's point that their idea of pear and apple is different than ours (maybe it is where we gain rather than our girth that counts), but I just don't see men having the distinct pear shape that a lot of BBWs have.


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## Mikey (Apr 5, 2007)

The Obstreperous Ms. J said:


> There is a 100% rate of fatality regardless of shape, age, or whatever.



...life *IS terminal!!*


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## mango (Apr 5, 2007)

*What about the mango shape?

Enquiring minds wanna know...


:mrgreen:*


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## HugKiss (Apr 5, 2007)

mango said:


> *What about the mango shape?
> 
> Enquiring minds wanna know...
> 
> ...




Mangos are oval, with most of their girth in the middle. I say, take three fat girls and apply. This will flatten and squeeze the Mango into a happier shape!  

View attachment mangoSQUEEZE.jpg


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## HugKiss (Apr 5, 2007)

SamanthaNY said:


> Wouldn't it be a cool idea for the Health Forum if we compiled our OWN health database (anonymous of course, voluntary participation)... with such a concentrated group, I bet that would be really valuable in terms of examining health issues that may or may _not _be associated with obesity. An interesting thought.



Yes, Samantha.. now THIS would be WAY cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe someday! 

HugKiss


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## The Obstreperous Ms. J (Apr 5, 2007)

Mangos, Pears, Apples.

Its a FRUIT SALAD.


and everyone knows that fruit salads are good for you.


oopps, I forgot to add the SQUASH!!! 

YAY!!!


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## LJ Rock (Apr 5, 2007)

BigBeautifulMe said:


> Another point of contention:
> 
> The way we think of apples and pears here is different than the way the researchers think of apples and pears.



Good point. I think one of the things that initially struck me about this article was the fact that I have rarely (if ever) heard such terminology used outside of this community. It is more than likely that opinions on the criteria for being either a "pear" or an "apple" varies greatly between those in fat acceptance/fat admiration circles and those in the medical feild.




BigBeautifulMe said:


> Once your belly gets past a certain size, like mine, it hangs quite low. This gives you a "pear" shape because there's not as much fat where the belly "should" be. Though i call myself a pear, and I *look* like a pear, to the researchers I would be an apple, as my tummy is substantially larger than any other part of my body (and in proportion to my hips and thighs). I think.



This is true too. It seems to me however that even with significant ammount of "belly hang" there still needs to be a good ammount of fat in the hips, thighs and buttocks to really form that "pear" shape. But of course, each of us are unique in our own way. No two pears or apples are going to be exactly alike, and as previously stated, the parameters of such terms could be debated.


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## LJ Rock (Apr 5, 2007)

Luvs2laff said:


> My question is a bit different than what has been in the rest of the thread, but I found it interesting to read that women tend to be pear shaped while men tend to be apple shaped. I have no idea whether the former is true (based on my albeit limited experience, it seems to me that it is close to a 50-50 split between apple and pear BBWs), but are there many (any?) truly pear shaped men? Every guy I know, myself included, seems to gain most in the belly area. I have larger than average hips/thighs (in relation to my waist - I base this on how big of a pain it can be to find pants that fit properly), but even so, my belly is bigger than my hips and thighs.
> 
> Maybe this goes back to BBMe's point that their idea of pear and apple is different than ours (maybe it is where we gain rather than our girth that counts), but I just don't see men having the distinct pear shape that a lot of BBWs have.




While it is true that most of us fellas gain the majority of our weight in our bellies, I have known a few men who seemed to have gained more weight _below the belt_ as it were. It would seem though that the pear shape is a far less common occurance in men than it is for women, and of course it is never nearly as pronounced in males. This is, I suspect, due to the base physiological differences between the genders. But it does indeed seem to be far more common to see guys with big stomachs and narrow behinds.


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## Miss Vickie (Apr 8, 2007)

Luvs2laff said:


> My question is a bit different than what has been in the rest of the thread, but I found it interesting to read that women tend to be pear shaped while men tend to be apple shaped. I have no idea whether the former is true (based on my albeit limited experience, it seems to me that it is close to a 50-50 split between apple and pear BBWs), but are there many (any?) truly pear shaped men? Every guy I know, myself included, seems to gain most in the belly area. I have larger than average hips/thighs (in relation to my waist - I base this on how big of a pain it can be to find pants that fit properly), but even so, my belly is bigger than my hips and thighs.



Hormones have a lot to do with fat deposition. Androgenic hormones (like testosterone) tend to stimulate fat deposits in the abdomen whereas estrogen tends to stimulate deposition in the butt and hips, as well as encourage breast development. Since men and women have both hormones (and lots of others) you will see some variations in this but it's more common for men to be apples and women to be pears. One of the reasons that women with PCOS often have an apple shape is because of the imbalance of hormones, with an overabundance of androgenic hormones. It's also why they have trouble having normal periods, grow hair in weird places, have thinning hair and the like.


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## crazygrad (Apr 8, 2007)

Yeah, medically speaking, apples and pears are different than the popular idea of apple and pear. The popular definition is related to body shape, and yes- once you have a belly of a certain size (varies on different people), the hang makes for a more pear shape, or an hour glass if the shoulder line/breast area create a wider line on the upper body.

Medically, pear and apple relate to where the fat is or where it originates somatically. So if the fat hangs down, but it originates at the gut, it is abdominal fat and the person is an apple.


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## rainyday (Apr 9, 2007)

SamanthaNY said:


> Wouldn't it be a cool idea for the Health Forum if we compiled our OWN health database (anonymous of course, voluntary participation)... with such a concentrated group, I bet that would be really valuable in terms of examining health issues that may or may _not _be associated with obesity. An interesting thought.



Yup, I agree and posted this thread about collecting data like this a while back. We're a very unique sample set here, especially when it comes to the number of supersize folks who participate on the site. It would be cool if we could use this to our advantage somehow.


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## GenericGeek (Apr 11, 2007)

Miss Vickie said:


> As if any of us has control of our patterns of weight deposition....
> 
> Yeah, in general, it's considered true by the medical establishment that central obesity is worse because it involves visceral fat, which is particularly harmful. But since we don't really have control over where our fat goes, I wonder what benefit comes from studies like this?



I have a theory that the drug companies are secretly working on the NEXT big generation of "Lifestyle Drugs", which will prove to be blockbuster sellers that will make them even MORE money than Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis did!

Imagine the ability to push that adipose around to exactly where YOU choose! Got belly or ass, but want boobs instead? No problem! Big boobs giving you backaches? Just move some of that excess weight a little lower.

The possibilities are endless. I can hear the cash registers ringing right now.


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