Colorectal cancer, diabetes higher risk for this body shape

When it comes to body types, it’s not just about the weight you carry, it’s where you store it.

Research shows that people with apple-shaped bodies—those with a wider middle and less defined waist—face a higher risk of serious health problems than their pear-shaped counterparts, who tend to carry excess weight on the hips, buttocks and thighs.

This body type isn’t just a cosmetic concern: Excess weight around the stomach often signals a dangerous build-up of visceral fat, which wraps around your internal organs — unlike fat stored just under the skin.

This means that even if you’re not technically overweight, carrying extra fat around your middle increases your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and even some cancers.

In fact, a 2020 review of 72 studies found that apple-shaped people had a significantly higher risk of death from all causes than those with pear-shaped bodies.

cancer

Obesity has long been considered a risk factor for some cancers, but a growing body of evidence suggests that excess abdominal fat may be an even stronger predictor.

In one study, researchers found that people who were “generally obese” – defined as having a body mass index (BMI) above 30 – faced a 10% higher risk of developing colon cancer compared to those at a healthy weight.

The real surprise came when the researchers looked at people who weren’t technically obese but carried extra weight around their middles. Those with apple-shaped bodies were 12% more likely to develop colon cancer than people with smaller waists.

Women with this body type were at an even greater risk, facing an 18% higher chance compared to men with the same shape.

Other research has linked excess belly fat to an increased risk of uterine, gallbladder, kidney, liver and breast cancer.

Heart diseases

An apple-shaped body can also be a big red flag for your heart.

A 2021 review of 31 studies found that extra weight around the middle is directly linked to a higher risk of heart disease. For every 3.9-inch increase in waist circumference, the risk of heart disease increased by 3% for women and 4% for men.

While men are more likely to accumulate fat around the belly, women’s bodies often become more apple-shaped as they age. A 2019 study found that postmenopausal women with an apple-shaped body were at a higher risk of heart and blood vessel problems — even if they had a normal, healthy BMI.

On the other hand, women with pear-shaped bodies – where fat is stored around the hips and legs – were 40% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared to their apple-shaped peers.

“In addition to overall body weight control, people may also need to pay attention to their regional fat, even for those with a healthy body weight and normal BMI,” said senior study author Qibin Qi. an associate professor at Albert Einstein. College of Medicine.

Qi’s findings echo 2018 research that found waist-to-hip ratio is a much more accurate predictor of heart attacks than BMI. This was especially true for women, for whom an apple-shaped body was three times more likely to predict heart attack risk than men with the same body type.

“We need further research to try to tease apart the different ways women and men store body fat and understand how and why this is associated with different health risks,” said Dr. Sanne Peters, Researcher at Epidemiology at the George Institute, Oxford. , who led the study.

dIABETES

While obesity is linked to a number of health conditions, extra belly fat is particularly dangerous – especially when it’s inflamed.

A 2018 study from Columbia University Irving Medical Center found that an enzyme produced by the liver, called DPP4, causes inflammation in abdominal fat, increasing the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

“If we can develop ways to target liver DPP4 in humans, this could be a powerful new way to treat obesity-induced type 2 diabetes,” said study leader Ira Tabas, Richardson Professor of Medicine. J. Stock at Columbia University’s Vagelos College. Physicians and Surgeons.

How to find out your body shape

Your body shape is determined by a combination of genetics, bone structure, hormones and lifestyle. In general, people fall into one of five standard body shapes:

• Apple: Rounder in the middle
• Pears: Lower half fuller
• Inverted triangle: Wider in the shoulders and chest with a narrow waist and bottom
• Ruler: More or less straight up and down
• Hourglass: Proportional chest and hips with a smaller midline

To find out your body shape, try calculating the ratio between your waist and hips. To do this, measure your waist and hip circumference and then divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.

The World Health Organization defines abdominal obesity in men as a waist-to-hip ratio of at least 0.90. For women, it is 0.85 or more. A ratio higher than 1.0 for either gender significantly increases the chance of health problems.