The Most Common Body Shapes For Women & How To Determine Yours

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The Most Common Body Shapes For Women & How To Determine Yours

The body-positive movement has encouraged people, especially women, to see beauty in all shapes and sizes, and it’s reminded us that body ideals are culturally constructed and not based on science.

There’s no “perfect” or “better” body shape, experts agree — yet you still might find yourself wondering what your body shape is and what it says about your health, if anything.

Women, in particular, have diverse body shapes due to differences in fat distribution influenced by hormones like estrogen, Dr. Lydia C. Alexander, president of the Obesity Medicine Association, tells TODAY.com. And while body shapes are largely driven by genetics, your overall health is influenced by much more, such as your lifestyle, your metabolic health and, yes, your genes.

One of the main ways body shape may reflect health is if a person carries a lot of visceral fat, which surrounds vital organs like the liver and intestines and is associated with higher risks of heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure, Alexander explains. The amount of visceral fat is estimated using measurements like waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Body types that store fat around the midsection may be more prone to health risks associated with obesity, since excess fat in this part of the body is linked to conditions like cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, Alexander adds. Out of the roughly six most common body shapes for women, people with the “apple” body shape may have to work the hardest to reduce visceral fat.

Here’s what to know about the different body shapes for women.

How to determine your body shape

To determine your body shape, consider your waist size in relation to your upper and lower body, as well as where you tend to store fat. Also, measure your waist circumference to determine if you are at higher risk for health issues. Your waist circumference should be measured at the height of your belly button.

“It doesn’t require any fancy equipment. Just use a simple tape measure that costs $2-3,” Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, who helped develop new criteria for diagnosing obesity, tells TODAY.com.

“Women should shoot for a waist circumference of under 35 inches and 40 inches for men,” she adds.

Waist circumference is a more accurate way to assess the risk for obesity-related health issues than the Body Mass Index (BMI), Stanford says, which is based on height and weight alone.

“Someone can be an athlete with great muscle mass who is not carrying extra fat but still have obesity by this traditional definition,” she explains. “Someone who is leaner but carries extra fat mass may not be considered obese, so the BMI definition was problematic.”

Alexander agrees that it’s important to look at a variety of factors when determining if a person is at increased risk for obesity related-health issues. “While body type can offer clues, it’s crucial to assess obesity through comprehensive measures like body composition, metabolic markers, and overall health status,” she says.

There are more than 100 known causes of obesity, Stanford stresses, so while genetics plays a large role, every body shape can encounter health risks from visceral fat.

What are the different body shapes?

It’s important to note that body types are not scientific or medical categories, but just general descriptions that refer to the relative proportions of the upper body, waist and lower body. Of course, there are as many variations as there are bodies, and each general category encompasses many different individuals.

Apple

Collage artwork depicting a women symbolized with an apple to show her apple shape

Commonly known as the “apple,” “oval” or “round” body type, this shape is narrower in the upper body and hips and wider in the waist. Apple body types tend to store weight around the midsection, — but they can still have a healthy waist size.


Pear

Collage artwork depicting a women symbolized with a pear to show her pear Shape

Also known as a triangle shape or spoon shape, someone with a pear shape has smaller shoulders and bust and fuller butt and hips.

“Pear shapes tend to store fat … around the hips and thighs, which is less metabolically harmful” than storing it around the waist, Alexander says. But that doesn’t mean someone with a pear body shape is inherently healthier.

Hourglass

Collage artwork depicting a women symbolized with an Hourglass to show her Hourglass Shape

Women with an hourglass shape have a fairly even width to their shoulders and hips and a smaller waist. They tend to gain more weight in the arms, bust, hips and thighs. Some women may be a top hourglass or a bottom hourglass if they have a slightly larger measurement in the bust or hips while still having a narrow waist.

Inverted triangle

Collage artwork depicting a women symbolized with a Inverted Triangle to show her Inverted Triangle Shape

The inverted triangle shape carries weight in the upper body and bust, with less weight in the stomach and hips.

Women who are this shape may be prone to back pain from large breasts and be good candidates for breast reduction surgery.

Exercises to strengthen the arms and back may also be particularly helpful for this body shape.

Rectangle or ruler

Collage artwork depicting a women symbolized with a ruler to show her Rectangle or Ruler Shape

Ruler shaped women have similar measurements in their upper body, waist and hips, creating a straighter silhouette. Although women with this body type may have fewer curves, they can still be prone to visceral fat.

Diamond

Collage artwork depicting a women symbolized with a diamond to show her Diamond Body Shape

Women with a narrow bust, fuller waistline and weight in the hips and upper legs have what some refer to as a “diamond” body shape. It’s similar to the “apple” body shape, but diamonds tend to gain weight more in the upper body and in the midsection, whereas apples tend to gain weight almost entirely in the midsection.

Can you change your body shape?

Your body shape is your baseline and due to genetics, and it does not change, Stanford says. So, “even if you lose weight, you are still that shape.”

That said, women of all body shapes may gain more weight around the waist as they age and enter perimenopause, even if they did not hold weight around the waist previously — for example women with an hourglass shape. If you’ve gained visceral fat as you’ve aged, you will likely be able to lose some of that fat through lifestyle changes.

How to keep a healthy body shape

Again, a healthy body isn’t necessarily due to its shape, and “health interventions, such as improving diet quality, physical activity, or sleep, are beneficial for everyone, regardless of body type or size,” Alexander says. She recommends the following to all body types:

  • Engage in regular physical activity, particularly aerobic exercises like walking, jogging or cycling, which are effective in reducing visceral fat.
  • Eat a balanced diet that emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods, such as vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and healthy fats, while minimizing ultraprocessed foods and added sugars.
  • Manage stress, as high stress levels can increase cortisol, a hormone associated with abdominal fat accumulation.
  • Prioritize sleep, as poor sleep is linked to higher levels of visceral fat.

These changes can improve metabolic health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, even if a person’s body shape remains unchanged, Alexander says.

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