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Apple Body Shape and Health
Excess Intra-Abdominal Fat Linked with Health Problems Like Heart Disease and Diabetes
Advice about Healthy Weight Reduction - Health & Weight Loss

Why is an Apple Shape Unhealthy?

The apple shape (excess weight stored around the abdomen and waist - also called intra-abdominal fat or central fat distribution) is linked with health problems such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and other Syndrome X factors, whereas the pear shape (heavy hips, bottom and thighs) does not appear to present the same level of risk.

This shape is predominantly a male phenomenon; although women are more prone to develop an apple shape in mid-life, particularly after menopause. This is because the female hormones are present in much smaller amounts and so the shape tends to become more 'male'.

There is also evidence that abdominal fat develops when you are under long-term stress. The hormone cortisol is released during stress, and it seems that high levels of cortisol in the body tend to encourage central fat to accumulate. Researchers at Yale University studied 60 women and found that the more stress they were under, the more fat they stored around their stomachs.

In other words, the people most likely to develop an apple shape are stressed men of any age, and older stressed women.

The apple effect can be minimized with a sensible diet, regular exercise and stress-reduction techniques (in fact, exercise is a good stress buster anyway).

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Weight Loss Health Advice

Weight loss and health go hand in hand. The healthier your body, the faster you lose weight. Which is another good reason to exercise regularly and eat healthily. And it's another good reason to avoid fad diets or weight loss methods (like weight loss pills and supplements) that don't help us to develop good eating habits.