Pear Shape Body Types

If you have a pear shape, it means that you carry most of your fat below your waist: on your hips, thighs and rear end. But your body type describes much more than just where you store your "junk." It dictates the type of clothes that you should and shouldn't wear, as well as health concerns that you should and shouldn't be worried about.

Identification

A pear shape body is one that has a hip-to-waist ratio of less than 0.8. To identify whether or not you have a pear-shape body type, use measuring tape to measure the circumference of your waist. Then measure the circumference of your hips. Finally, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. If that decimal is less than 0.8, your shoulders are more narrow than your hips and you have a small bust, then you are a pear shape.

Significance

The identification of your body type is significant largely as a guideline for clothing choice. Certain cuts and styles of clothing look better on pear-shaped women.

For instance, pear-shape women look best in flat-front pants with a wide or flared leg. They should also look for "hipster" jeans that fit low around the hips to eliminate the problem of gaps in your waist line that women with wide hips and narrow waists often encounter.

Similarly, women with pear-shape body types should look for a-line skirts that hug their waist, flare out at the thighs and fall at the knee. They should also look for form-fitting tops that are more visually stimulating than their bottom article (a brighter color, or a bolder pattern) in order to draw the eye upward and distract attention away from potential problem areas.

Considerations

A pear-shape body type can also be a guideline for clothing styles and cuts to avoid. And while these choices vary according to taste, a woman with a pear shape should avoid fad items like skinny or tapered-leg jeans . Since they are smallest at the ankle, these pants make your hips the largest part of your body, an area most pear-shape women don't want emphasized.

Pear-shape women should also consider avoiding tight or short skirts, which draw attention to the hip and thigh area.

Benefits

A recent study conducted by the Institute of Preventative Medicine in Copenhagen has found a link between pear-shape body types and a lower-than-average risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and breast cancer.

Plus, pear-shape women also have higher levels of estrogen, which means that they are more fertile than the average woman.

Misconceptions

Perhaps the biggest misconception about a pear-shape body type is that you can change it by doing a specific set of exercises. The reality is that there is nothing that you can do to change this body type.

When pear-shape women diet and exercise, they lose weight more quickly from their upper body than from their lower half. This means that while they may lose weight overall, they will still maintain the same waist-to-hip ratio.