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Most
men and women put on weight differently. But on what makes fat settle
in a preferential way, there is little evidence.
Scientists ascertained that the specific body shapes are: the android
shape, or apple shape, common among men (fat deposits on the middle
section of the body, mostly on the abdomen) and the gynoid, or pear shape,
more common among women (fat deposited on hips and bottom). There is also
the third type of body shape: the ovoid shape, not differentiating between
men and women. With this type we can speak of an over-all general coverage
of body fat.
Thinking
of many cases of exceptions, I try to find out in what follows if there is
a strict specific fat pattern distribution for men and women and what are
the factors influencing fat distribution. And I find this interesting not
in as much as the aesthetic side is concerned but from the health
perspective.
Being
overweight or underweight are characteristics depending on many factors:
you are genetically overweight if you have a family history of overweight
parents/relatives. Also, the nervous system plays an important role in
balancing the body weight: serotonin and endorphins send signals to the
brain that induce the need to eat or on the contrary. There is also the
CCK hormone which transmits the brain signals on the state of satiety - it
decreases hunger.
While
generally, body weight is influenced genetically, hormonally and by the
body maintenance condition (the activity routine), it seems that the fat
distribution is influenced by age, genetic inheritance, race, but to a
greater extent by gender specific hormones. They are responsible for the
distribution of fat in certain zones of our bodies: thus, estrogens which
are responsible of the typical female sexual characteristics will
influence the fat deposition in the pear format, favouring its laying on
the hips, thighs, and belly, while testosterone will "lead" fat mostly
towards tummy and upper body.
Latest
studies show that men's tendency towards the gynoid format has increased
in the past 30 years (one study shows a growth of 2 inches in men's hips
in the past 30 years). According to researches as John R. Lee, M.D
(specialist in natural progesterone therapy), Dr. Jesse Hanley and Dr.
Peter Eckhart, it seems that modern life exposes people to increased
amounts of estrogen and estrogen-like substances (xenoestrogens or foreign
estrogens). Sources of these substances can be plastics, plastic drinking
bottles, commercially raised beef, chicken and pork, personal care
products, pesticides, herbicides, birth control pills, spermacide,
detergent, canned foods and lacquers. The problem is that increased
estrogen levels in men not only make their hips fatten but are the main
risk factor for disease such as prostate enlargement and cancer.
Also, for
women, the android pattern fat distribution should raise questions with
regard to hormonal imbalances, such situations being a potential cause for
health problems such as polycystic ovary syndrome.
We've
seen how health related problems can affect body fat, now let's take a
look at how fat can induce health problems.
It is
clear that increased body fat affects health, the news is that its
distribution on the body influences the state of health of specific
organs.
According
to its placement, fat can be subcutaneous (under the skin) or visceral
(around organs). The greatest concern is generated by visceral fat that
can interfere with the good functioning of vital organs. There is a
relationship between overall fat deposits and specific fat deposits: fat
around the body middle section is associated with visceral fat, so,
abdominal fat is the most serious health risk.
The waist
to hip ratio is a method of determining whether there are excessive
amounts of upper body fat. It is obtained by dividing the waist
measurement by the hip measurement. The upper limits are:.95 for men and
.80 for women. Any exceeding values should be alarming.
Apple-shaped fat individuals are exposed to a greater risk of developing
obesity-related diseases, as the fat is intra-abdominal and distributed
around their stomach and chest. They risk:
*
Cardiovascular diseases and hypertension * Type 2 diabetes * Respiratory
diseases (sleep apnea syndrome) * Some cancers * Osteoarthritis
The
pear-shaped overweight persons are at greater risk of mechanical problems,
as most of their body fat is distributed around their hips, thighs and
bottom.
Both
apple-shaped and pear-shaped obese persons are likely to develop
psychological problems and alteration of the quality of life.
In any
case, extra-weight cannot create but problems. Fact is that the main role
in acquiring extra-fat is the food intake that the body cannot burn for
various reasons (such as a decreased metabolic rate, low activity level or
the physical condition), and, consequently, it creates fat deposits. The
solution is a classic one: diet and exercise.
However,
in shedding extra weight there are men-women differences. The process
appears to be harder for women.
The total
mass of the body is made up of fat mass and fat-free mass. The fat mass
can be of two types: essential and excess. Essential fat is found in bone
marrow, in various organs, and throughout the nervous system.
Women are
at a disadvantage, as their physiological processes (childbearing and
hormone functions) require a plus of essential fat, the "sex-specific
fat". Thus the total percentage of body fat is higher, moreover, this part
of essential fat is hard to dislodge. Secondly, women have less calorie
burning muscle than men, which makes it more more demanding for the female
to achieve a trimmer figure. Now, girls, don't use it as an excuse!
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