Body Mass Index may be inaccurate indicator for pear-shaped women

09/21/2015 / By Carol Young

You may have heard that pear-shaped women are smarter and may even live longer, but if you are of this certain body type you may also get an inaccurate impression of your health based on your body mass index (BMI). BMI is a calculation that determines whether you are underweight, of average weight, overweight or obese. The number is calculated by diving your weight by your height, or you could simply find a BMI calculator and enter in your information.

Experts now say that one of the main problems with using BMI is that it does not distinguish between the weight of muscle and the weight of fat. Someone who is very muscular may be rated as overweight even if they are very fit.

BMI also doesn’t take into account where the body fat is distributed. It’s been widely reported that “apple shapes” who carry fat in the abdominal area are at a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease.

The Daily Mail reports that pear shapes, too, could be classified incorrectly. “Meanwhile ‘pear’ shapes may be labelled officially ‘overweight’, despite the fact that fat stored around the hips, bottom and thighs is safer.”

If you do carry a little bit of extra weight in your middle, do not despair. Sometimes, pear-shaped women carry a little extra weight on the belly but they are essentially still considered a pear shape, which is healthier than carrying all of your extra weight where the vital organs are located. Dr. Ashwell told the Daily Mail, “All women, even those who start off pear-shaped, will start to store fat around the middle, particularly in the lead up to and after the menopause. The change in hormone levels can alter where fat is stored.”