Your body shape can say quite a bit about your health. But it’s important to remember that it’s just one factor. People of all shapes and sizes can be healthy — or at risk for problems like heart disease or diabetes. You should see your doctor for regular checkups to test your blood pressure, cholesterol, and other measures of your health.
Ectomorph
One system separates body shapes into “somatotypes.” The ectomorph type has a narrower frame, thinner bones, and smaller joints, and may be flatter in the chest and butt. Think of the typical build of a distance runner, fashion model, or ballerina. Though you may look skinny and find it hard to put on weight, you can have more body fat than you think, especially as you age. That’s because your body often processes food quickly, which makes it harder to build muscle.
Endomorph
This somatotype usually has more body fat and muscle, smaller shoulders, shorter limbs, and larger bone structure. Think of football linemen, shot put throwers, or curvier women. You may gain weight easily, especially in your lower belly and hips, and find it harder to lose. This may be in part because your body is more likely to store “high carb” foods as fat instead of burning them.
Mesomorph
This somatotype has an athletic, strong build with wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and low body fat. Think of the typical build of sprinters or soccer players. Because you’re naturally strong and lose and gain weight easily, your body type is well-suited to muscle-building activities like bodybuilding.
Pear Shape
It combines a slimmer “ectomorph” upper body with an “endomorph” lower body. People with this shape have extra fat in the hip and thigh area. It’s more common among women, and it may be part of the reason they often live longer than men. That could be because belly fat, more common in men, is linked to more health problems than lower-body fat. One study found that in some cases fat in the hips and thighs was linked to lower odds for some diseases.
Apple Shape
Also called a “beer belly,” it means you have more fat stored around your stomach, while your lower body stays thin. It’s more common in men, and it’s worse for your health than the pear shape. That’s because belly fat is often a sign that you have more fat deeper inside, around your internal organs, as opposed to just beneath the skin. That kind is more closely linked to heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Doctors don’t rely on body shape alone to know how healthy you are. They use a few tools to measure how much body fat you have, and BMI is one of them. It’s a number calculated from your height and weight. A score of 25 or more suggests you’re overweight; 30 or more points to obesity. But it doesn’t measure body fat directly or tell you where in your body the fat tends to live.
Waist Size
This is a simple way to measure how much fat you have around your belly, which can tell you your odds for health problems, like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. To check yours, line up a measuring tape with your belly button and wind it once around. (Don’t suck in your stomach when you measure.) In women, 35 inches or more is a sign of too much belly fat. In men, it’s 40 inches. These numbers may vary slightly if you have a very large body size.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio
It’s another way to gauge the fat around your midsection. Measure your waist just above your belly button and divide that by the measure of your hips at their widest point. Anything greater than 0.85 for women or 0.9 for men puts you in the danger zone for health problems. Is it a better measure than just your waist size? The research isn’t clear. But many studies suggest that both do a good job of predicting health risks.
Bigger Thighs, Better Health?
Scientists studied about 3,000 adults for more than 12 years and found those whose thighs measured less than 24 1/2 inches were more likely to have heart disease and other health problems. And the problem got worse as thighs got thinner. However, the study didn’t track whether the people’s thighs were larger because of fat, muscle, or both, so it’s hard to tell why they were better off.
Arm Yourself
When doctors kept track of 4,000 men between ages 60 and 79 to figure out their body composition, they found that along with slimmer waists, bigger arms seemed to predict longer life and better health. Those who had larger mid-arm muscle measurements lived longer. It may simply be that muscular arms reflect a healthier lifestyle, but the muscle itself may also help.
Exercise to Stay in Shape
Often, your body shape is something you’re born with. But no matter what you look like, there are lots of things you can do to be healthy. Exercise can help you get rid of deeper fat and build muscle, even if your weight stays the same. And if you lose weight, regular workouts can help you keep it off. Try to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week. Building muscle with weights or yoga can also help.
Eat for a Healthy Body Shape
Trans fats and sweetened foods and drinks seem to boost belly fat. Eat a diet focused on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. And look for lean protein like skinless chicken, fish, eggs, beans, and low-fat dairy.
American Council on Exercise: “How to Eat and Train for an Ectomorph Body Type,” “How to Eat and Train for an Endomorph Body Type,” “How to Eat and Train for a Mesomorph Body Type.”
CDC: “Knowing is Not Enough—Act on Your Family Health History,” “Body Mass Index (BMI).”
Cleveland Clinic: “Weight Management and Obesity,” “Physical Examination.”
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: “Waist Size Matters.”
Harvard Health Publishing: “Taking aim at belly fat,” “Big thighs may be wise.”
Mayo Clinic: “Men’s health: Checkups and screenings are key.”
The Harvard Clinical And Translational Science Center: “Somatotypes.”
University of Houston Center For Wellness Without Borders: “The 3 Somatotypes.”
Lipoedema
Lipoedema is more common in women. It usually affects both sides of the body equally.
Lipoedema can make your bottom, thighs, lower legs and sometimes your arms look out of proportion with the rest of the body.
In early-stage lipoedema, you may have bigger legs, a narrow waist and a much smaller upper body.
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You may have a large bottom, thighs, and lower legs, but your feet are not usually affected.
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Sometimes lipoedema can affect the arms too, but the hands are not usually affected.
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The affected skin feels soft and cool and may be dimpled with an “orange peel” texture.
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You may also have pain, tenderness or heaviness in the affected limbs, and you may bruise easily.
Lipoedema affects people differently.
Some people have mild symptoms that do not affect their life. Others can struggle with physical problems, blaming themselves for the changes in their body, and have mental health problems.
Other causes of large or swollen legs
There are other things that can cause large or swollen legs.
If you have swelling in all or part of a limb or another part of the body, it could be lymphoedema.
This can affect any part of the body, but usually develops in the arms or legs and develops when the lymphatic system does not work properly.
Sometimes, a build-up of fluid can cause the legs, ankles or feet to become swollen. This is called oedema. In lipoedema, the feet are not usually affected.
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
- you have symptoms of lipoedema
- you have swollen legs, ankles or feet and the swelling has not improved after a few days
Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
- your leg or legs become swollen, red, hot and painful and you have flu-like symptoms
You may have cellulitis (a skin infection) and need treatment with antibiotics.
Treatments for lipoedema
If the GP thinks you have lipoedema they may refer you to a specialist for treatment.
There’s currently no cure, but there are things that can help and stop it getting worse.
Your treatment will depend on how severe your symptoms are and how they’re affecting you.
The main treatments are:
- eating healthily, doing more exercise and trying to maintain a healthy weight
- wearing compression stockings or bandages to reduce pain and discomfort, and make it easier for you to walk
- looking after your skin – for example, by regularly using moisturising cream (emollients) to stop your skin drying out
- counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) if you’re finding it difficult to cope with your symptoms and you feel depressed
- a procedure to get rid of the fat (liposuction) if your symptoms are particularly severe – you may need more than 1 operation and it may not be available on the NHS
Compression therapy
Compression therapy can sometimes help manage lipoedema.
A specially trained clinician will assess you and recommend the most suitable type of compression.
Getting support
Talking to someone and getting support can help if lipoedema is affecting your quality of life.
Lipoedema UK and Talk Lipoedema give help and advice about managing lipoedema. They can also put you in touch with other people with it.
Causes of lipoedema
The exact cause of lipoedema is not clear.
It’s not caused by being overweight – you can be a healthy weight and still get it.
It may be caused by changes in your hormones:
- during puberty
- when you’re pregnant
- when you’re going through the menopause
- when you’re taking the contraceptive pill
Sometimes lipoedema runs in families.
