Women are born with a genetic predisposition to one of two body types: they are either a pear shape, where excess fat is stored in the hips, butt and thighs or they are an apple shape where fat tends to accumulate in the stomach area.  Regardless of our genetic makeup, it is common for women to gain fat in their mid-section with the advancement of age.  This is because fat distribution shifts as we grow older. We notice less fat in the arms, legs, hips and butt and more on the waist. In women this trend increases after menopause because hormonal changes take place that change the way fat is broken down and stored by the body.

Getting a fat belly is more unhealthy when compared with gaining fat in the lower half of your body. Extra belly fat increases your risk of complex diseases such as heart and artery disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

To tell if your belly is growing too fat and becoming a health risk you want to stop focusing on what the scale says and instead pull out a measuring tape.

The best way to tell if your belly is growing too fat is to measure your waist-hip ratio (this is a measurement of the waist size divided by the hip size). To figure out what your ratio is:

1. First measure around your waist at a level just above your belly button; don’t suck in your stomach and don’t pull the tape so tight that you indent the skin.

2. Next you want to measure around the fullest area of your hips with your feet together.

3. Divide your waist measurement by the measurement at your hips. In other words, Waist Measurement ÷ Hip Measurement = Waist-Hip Ratio

A waist-hip ratio above .85 for women indicates a higher health risk (for men a ratio above .90 indicates a problem)

Belly fat tends to be found deeper inside the body than fat that is found around the hips, thighs and butt however it is all removed in the same way – through proper diet and exercise.

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