Walking around Nairobi would tell you just how women have certainly evolved and become aware of their body shapes. Many flock cosmetic and body modifying shops just to get the shape right. But right for what reasons? Beauty, weight, peer pressure, the in-thing… Name them and the list will be endless. Fast forward to the social media life we are living in and it is as if we all woke up to a new woman called a socialite who can only have one body shape. We all know it! If you are not aware, ask Google you will find her there. This woman is in a craze of getting her body recognized and known as the standard of beauty or is the in thing? She has made others scramble, wish and go to even the extent of consuming chick mash to attain this shape, morals aside. Never mind, I keep all things nutrition. *Shackles to self. Just what is the right weight for a woman? More like which is the right shape? And what shape are you right now and what does evolving from one to another really mean?
A woman’s body is known to be the most dynamic in terms of weight changes because of all body processes that she has to go through. Her body shape is defined by the bust, waist and hip measurements. So yes, we are all different and cannot have one same type of shape. So how do you know which shape you are and why does it matter?
There are 4 types of female body shapes:
- The apple shaped- This woman has broad shoulders and bust and narrow hips.
- The banana or rectangular shaped- This woman has waist measurements that are less than 9 inches and are normally smaller than the hip and bust measurement.
- The pear shaped- the woman has higher hip measurements than the bust.
- The hourglass- this woman has almost equal bust and hip measurements with a narrow waist.
Ideally the socialites of our time have made us believe that the hourglass shape is the in-thing and you should be worried if you do not spot this shape! But I say all is not lost. A study in the North Carolina showed that most women 46% are banana shaped, 20% are pear shaped and about 14% are apple shaped leaving only 8% being hourglass shape. Back home, you will agree with me that this statistics apply. Very few women have the hourglass shape! But should you be worried? Research indicates that pear shaped women are at a higher risk of heart disease than hourglass shaped women. However, since the pear shaped woman tends to have more fat stored on her lower abdomen, the waist circumference therefore, matters and so does knowing the right weight. You can remain as you are in your shape as long as your waist circumference is not more than 88 centimeters or rather that your waist hip circumference is not more than 0.8! So when you see an hourglass shaped woman, do not strive to be like her. Rather begin your own weight management program. While being an apple shape could pose you at a risk of contracting diabetes and other heart complications, having a banana shape means that you are at lower risk of these complications. However, it always goes back to knowing your right weight and not competing with the craze. This can be done by measuring your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms with your height in meters squared. The normal figure should be between 18.5 and 24.5. Anything below this makes you underweight while anything above this makes you overweight or obese. But do not stop there, seek to know your waist circumference which should be not more than 88centimetres. Still consult a doctor to know your cholesterol levels and know what risk you are in. Remember you can physically check for red flags when you have excess weight on your belly or lower abdomen. Changing from one shape to another can be detrimental and unsustainable with time. Although it is advised that an hourglass shape is best to avoid risk of heart diseases and all, interestingly you can still be healthy with your body shape without having to change it. This is because hourglass shaped women tend to gain weight very fast. So don’t agree to the gospel of the socialites. Seek the truth, understand your body and take up your own customized weight and shape management plan. I know you have questions and comments. Post them below!