Over the years, numerous articles, blogs, and journals have been published about human body shapes and their exclusive features. Whether a man or woman, knowing the perfect Body shape can help an individual select the right clothing, as well as maintain optimal health. In general, human figures can be broadly classified into eight categories. If you are not yet aware of your actual body shape, find it out today to understand the weight loss strategies and diet plans which will work best for you.

Understanding your figure

  • Straight: In case of straight body shapes, the bust size and the hip size are more or less same, with the waist being relatively smaller.
  • Pear: In case of a pear-shaped figure, the hips are larger than bust.
  • Apple: In case of apple shaped figure, the shoulders are usually broader than the hips, and the upper part of the body carried more weight than the lower part.
  • Spoon: When the hips are wider than the bust, and the waist is smaller than the bust, it is called spoon body shape.
  • Hourglass: The hourglass body shape is probably the most desirable body shape among women, as the bust size is exactly the same as the hip size, and the waist is also defined.
  • Inverted Triangle: When the bust is wider, the hip and waist are narrow; it is called inverted triangle body shape.
  • Oval: In case of the oval-shaped body, the waist is broader than the bust and hips. The shoulder is usually broad, and the breasts are heavy.
  • Diamond: When the shoulder and waist are narrower than the bust or hips, it is known as the diamond-shaped body.

Understanding the health risks

According to Business Insider, the apple shapes carry extra weight around the waist area; and this is exactly where the visceral fat accumulates and becomes a risk factor with time.

People with apple body shapes are prone to high blood pressures, cardiac problems, cancers and Type-2 diabetes. However, unlike the people with pear body shape, the people apple body shape can lose weight faster with diet and regular exercises. The pears, on the other hand, store passive fats in their lower area, which leads to relatively less fatal diseases like joint problems, varicose veins, degenerative knees, etc. Likewise, people having hourglass shape too, are prone to cardiac problems and Type-2 diabetes, because of the excess fat accumulation throughout the body. However, they can be tackled easily, with a healthy diet and intense physical activity.

It is worth mentioning here that the human body shapes might alter significantly, with time.

In case of women, the onset of puberty or childbirth can also lead to the shift in shapes apart from losing or gaining weights. It is always better to keep track of these transitions and discuss it with the healthy physicians in order to stay active and healthy.