Female Fat Patterns

As we have seen, being overfat also increases the risk of certain types of cancers. For example, women with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater were twice as likely to develop cervical cancer. Women with the lowest waist-to-hip ratio, indicating a significant accumulation of abdominal fat, were eight times more likely to develop this disease than women with a normal waist-to-hip ratio.

Body fat/lean muscle ratio

Even though most women equate being overweight with how many pounds they weigh, the scale does not tell the whole story. While scale weight is certainly an important factor and will give you some information about your general health, it is even more important for you to determine your body composition, that is, how many pounds of fat you carry in relationship to how many pounds of lean muscle. The following table categorizes body fat percentages for women:

Body Fat (%) Level

<14          Athletic

14–17      Good/lean

18–22      Average

23–27      Fair/fat

27+          Obese

Healthy women tend to carry approximately 10 percent more body fat. This is nature’s way of giving women a small and much-needed fuel surplus for pregnancy, breast-feeding, and child rearing.

Female body type

The classic female body type is the gynoid shape, that is, fat storage below the waist in the hip and buttocks areas, causing a pear-shaped silhouette. Since weight below the waist presents less of a health risk than abdominal fat, an overweight woman actually has a lower risk than an overweight man for certain illnesses such as heart disease.

Dangers of the reverse fat pattern

A woman’s risk for heart attack gradually increases following menopause precisely because that is the time when she is most likely to be storing excess fat in the abdominal region. One of the reasons is that her body is producing less of the hormone estrogen, which has a positive effect on fat mobilization.

Even though women have their first heart attacks later than men, they are more likely to die from them. Within one year of having an attack, 25 percent of men die, but 38 percent of women die. On average, women’s hospital stays were longer by three days. These are all good motivations to lose that excess abdominal fat.

Women are also less likely to experience the traditional chest pains that warn of heart problems in men. Instead they will complain of abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and shortness of breath.

A woman with a reverse fat pattern, whatever her age might be, is also at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes; certain types of cancer; problems with weight-supporting joints in her hips, knees, and ankles; and foot problems because of the greater constrictive design of women’s footwear.

Posted in: Weight Loss,Womens Health