How to Measure if You Are Pear or Apple Shaped

Doctors and dietitians categorize different body types according to their shape. An apple body type is thickest in the middle, much like the fruit. Someone with a pear body type carries more weight below the waist throughout the hips, thighs and buttocks. You may be able to discover your body shape in a mirror, but calculating your waist-to-hip ratio will give you a more precise measurement of how apple-shaped or pear-shaped you are. Your body type doesn't just influence fashion choices. According to a 2007 study at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, waist-to-hip ratio may be more predictive of cardiovascular disease than overall body mass index. The Mayo Clinic describes an apple shape as one symptom of metabolic syndrome, a collection of symptoms that also includes high blood pressure and insulin resistance.

Things You'll Need

• Full-length mirror
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Calculator (optional)

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Instructions

Measurement

• 1

  Undress to your level of comfort and examine your reflection in a full-length mirror. If you carry extra weight, you may already see your body type before you measure. If you have an average or slender build, you may not find your body type as readily apparent.

• 2

  Find your natural waistline for the most accurate calculations.

  Bend slightly to the right or left while facing the mirror to locate your natural waistline. Where your skin creases determines your natural waist. If your body forms no crease as you bend, consider your narrowest point as your natural waist. You may also use your navel as a guideline and find your natural waist an inch or two above it.

• 3

  Stand straight and measure the circumference of your natural waist with the measuring tape, using the mirror to ensure that you keep the tape parallel to the floor to get an accurate measurement. Measure without holding in a large breath or pulling your stomach flat, as these efforts distort your results. Record your waist measurement.

• 4

  Your widest hip circumference typically falls near the middle of your buttocks.

  Measure your hips at their widest circumference. If you find that excess abdominal fat becomes a part of the hip measurement, lean forward to move stomach fat out of the way and position the measuring tape before standing straight again to get a natural measurement of your hips alone. Record this hip measurement.

Calculation and Interpretation

• 5

  Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement to arrive at your waist-to-hip ratio. You may find a calculator handy to get a quicker, more precise result.

• 6

  Use your number to define your shape as an apple or a pear. If your resulting number is smaller than one, your waist is narrower than your hips and you are shaped like a pear. A dividend of greater than one means your abdomen is wider than your hips, resulting in an apple shape.

• 7

  Compare your result to optimal results. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.9 or smaller a safe threshold for a man and a result smaller than 0.8 ideal for a woman. Men and women whose number is larger than one are at greater risk of developing obesity-related diseases, according to the CDC.