How Your Body Shape Can Affect Your Health

Your body shape is determined by your genetics. Your underlying skeleton is of course set in bone and there is nothing that you can do to change it. Your muscle and fat distribution is genetic and you have probably realised that you are turning into your mother or father. But, this is in your hands, you can do something to redistribute fat and muscle.

For some time now, doctors have focused on how shape can determine or affect your health. This is not just fat or slim it is also tall or short – the whole you. For a more comprehensive report see NHS Direct.

The most worrying trend is that women are gathering fat around the waist and this could put you at risk from heart disease and other degenerative diseases. And it is not just an age thing, young women are laying down fat younger in this area too.

Why is this a problem?
It is now accepted that fat around middle is a defensive mode to stress by the body to preserve its organs and if the fat is near to vital organs such as the liver it can be converted back to energy very quickly. Stress produces Cortisol and this hormone is responsible for laying down fat cells near the liver.

Also, the fat cells around the waist appear to be active and produce chemicals that upset the balance of proteins and hormones which can also put you at risk of type 2 diabetes. So if you are turning into an apple rather than a pear then you should take steps now to reverse the situation.