Obesity Risks, Weight Loss and Diet - Part 2 of 9

"Apple" or "Pear" - Which Shape Is Better?

It's not just important to
know how MUCH fat a person has, but also where that fat
is located on the body. The pattern of body fat distribution tends to differ in men
and women.

It
is most common for women to collect bodyfat in their hips and buttocks, giving their
figures a "pear" shape. More often than not, men collect fat around the belly, giving them more of an "apple" shape.When we age, it looks like this has a tendencay to shift, some men are pear
- shaped and some women become apple-shaped, particularly after menopause).

Apple-shaped people whose fat is concentrated mostly in the abdomen are more likely to develop many of the health problems associated with obesity. They
are at increased health risk because of their fat distribution. All by itself,
obesity is it's OWN health risk, but depending on where you are now, it's better to be
a pear than an apple.

In order to sort the types of fruit, doctors have developed
a simple way to determine whether someone is an apple or a pear. They
call it a waist-to-hip ratio, and to determine your own personalwaist-to-hip ratio,
measure the waist at its narrowest point, and then measure the hips at the widest point. Divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement. For example, a woman with a 35 inch waist and 46-inch hips would have a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.76 (35 divided by 46
0.76). For women who have a ratio greater than than 0.8 and men with waist-to-hip ratios of
more than 1.0 are "apples."

One way of measuring the amount of a person's abdominal fat is by
measuring the waist circumference. Men with waist circumference of 40 inches or greater along with women with waist measurement of 35 inches or more are considered to
have increased health risks related to obesity.

What Can Be Done About Obesity?

Most of the time, obesity
prompts a strenuous diet all with the goal of
reaching a mis-perceived "ideal body weight." EVERY
diet plan will help to achieve SOME weight loss, but the lost weight usually quickly returns.Mostof those - actually
over 95% - who lose weight regain the weight within five years. It's important that a sound, realistic,sustainable, long-lasting treatment for obesity must be found or nothing will ever work.

we need a better understanding of obesity,and
then we need to change the ways we treat it. If obesity is defined as a
chronic condition, it will be treated
like other chronic diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Obesity simply cannot be treated with a "quick fix" in mind but
has to be an ongoing life-long process.

While trying to avoid a short-shighted focus of an "ideal weight," obesity treatment must point out that even a smallweight loss can be beneficial. A weight loss of 5 to 10% of the initial weight
and long-term maintenance of that weight loss can bring significant health gains,
including:

- Lowered blood pressure
- Reduced blood levels of cholesterol
- Reduced risk of type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes. Women who lost 11 pounds of weight
reduced their risk of diabetes by 50% or more.
- Decreased chance of stroke
- Decreased complications of heart disease
- Decreased overall mortality

It's important to be reminded that you need not achieve an 'ideal weight' to
achieve greater health from obesity treatment. Instead, a more realistic goal should be to reach and hold to a a more realistic weight and greater level of health. The emphasis of treatment should be to
commit to the process of life-long healthy living including eating more wisely and
increasing physical activity.

It's important to keep in mind that the
goal in dealing with obesity is to achieve and maintain a "healthier weight".

Alan C. Meyers is the Senior Editor of 'Your Health And Wellness Today'. Robert Reid, Ph.D., is a medical consultant and writer, living in Portland, OR. and is also a staff writer and contributor to 'Your Health And Wellness Today'. Read more of their articles by visiting http://offto.net/WeightLossProgramReview