Shape Magazine
Facts about Fat
Fat-wise, women have one big advantage over men: About 80 percent of women are shaped like pears before they hit menopause, which signals less dangerous fat distribution than often found in apple-shaped people. But this doesn't mean that pear-shaped women should be complacent about weight gain. Though women under 50 have substantially lower rates of heart disease than men, this advantage disappears after menopause.
Around menopause, declining estrogen levels cause a redistribution of body fat. The key is controlling your body fat when you are younger, says Deborah Clegg, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the obesity research center at the University of Cincinnati's department of psychiatry. "If you're overweight when going through menopause, your chances of having metabolic syndrome increase exponentially."
Overcoming your fat obsession
Hip and thigh fat may not lead to heart disease and diabetes, but for many women, that's small comfort. They're nevertheless desperate to lose their saddlebags, and this obsession itself may have damaging physical and psychological consequences. "Body dissatisfaction can trigger unhealthy eating behavior and can also affect your self-esteem," says Cynthia Bulik, Ph.D., director of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Eating Disorders Program and co-author of Runaway Eating: The 8-Point Plan to Conquer Adult Food and Weight Obsessions (Rodale, 2005).
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