When I was young I remember my mom always talking about how she was a pear and her friend was an apple. I looked at her quizzically and asked why she was comparing herself and her friend to fruit. She explained that she had a body shape like a pear and her friend had a body shape like an apple. My mom carried more weight on the lower half of her body while her friend carried more weight in her belly or torso. At the time I was shaped more like an asparagus so I dismissed the idea entirely.
As I grew I became a pear like my mom. Yes, the woman who blogs before you is a complete pear. I have found that to be frustrating over the years no matter how thin I was. Even at 107 pounds I never felt truly skinny because of my rounded hips and bigger bottom. I know 107 pounds does not leave much room for a big bottom but proportionately my weight was in the lower half of my body. As I gained weight the pear shape has become more pronounced and more frustrating.
So what do you need to know about being a pear?
First, pear shaped women are those who gain the bulk of their weight on the hips, butt and thigh area. The fat stored is called subcutaneous fat is under the layers of the skin and not deep around your organs like visceral fat. While it is less dangerous physically, it has been shown that pear shaped women are more prone to self image issues and eating disorders. Pear shaped women are more prone to osteoporosis since they lack androgen and produce a weaker form of estrogen during menopause. In menopause as a woman loses estrogen she loses bone. This is a serious concern for all women but pear shaped women are more susceptible. In addition, varicose veins are an issue due to the weight compression placed on the veins.
What can you do?
It is recommended that pear shaped women eat low fat diets. The fat cells are like magnets for fat so lowering fat intake will be essential. Resistance training is also recommended to reduce body fat and increase bone density.