What is the significance of the waist-to-hip ratio measurement from a health-risk perspective?
Recent data indicate that the pattern of fat distribution throughout the body is an important predictor of the health risks of obesity. Exercise scientists have classified where the fat is deposited on the body into two basic categories: male-pattern (or apples) and female-pattern (or pears). Despite their names, each type of fat pattern can occur in both sexes, although men tend to be apples and women tend to be pears. Apples characteristically deposit high amounts of fat in the abdominal and trunk regions, while pears deposit high amounts of fat in the hip, buttocks, and thigh regions.
