The distribution of fat on the body can look very different from person to person. Several factors play a role in determining where and how fat gets deposited.
What causes fat distribution differences?
There are a few key factors that influence where fat accumulates:
- Genetics – Our genes play a significant role in determining where we store fat. Some people are predisposed to carry fat in certain areas like the abdomen, while others store more fat in places like the hips and thighs.
- Hormones – Hormones like estrogen, testosterone, insulin, and cortisol impact how and where the body stores fat. Hormonal changes through puberty, menopause, and aging can alter fat distribution.
- Sex – There are some gender differences in fat storage patterns. Premenopausal women tend to store more fat in the hips, thighs, and buttocks, while men tend to accumulate more visceral fat in the belly.
- Lifestyle factors – Diet, exercise, stress levels, and sleep can all influence fat storage over time. For example, excess abdominal fat is associated with stress, poor sleep, and a highly processed diet.
Common fat distribution patterns
Some of the most common patterns of fat distribution include:
- Apple shape: Fat accumulates around the abdomen and trunk leading to a rounder midsection.
- Pear shape: Fat accumulates lower down around the hips, thighs and butt creating a bottom-heavy silhouette.
- Hourglass: Fat distributes relatively evenly throughout the body maintaining more defined curves.
- Potato shape: Fat accumulates fairly evenly over the body without much definition between the waist and hips.
Genetics play a major role in determining which pattern you naturally tend to follow. Hormones, diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors can also push your body towards storing fat in certain areas over others.
Impact of age and hormonal changes
As we age, declining sex hormones, changes in metabolism, diet and activity levels tend to alter fat distribution in the following ways:
- Loss of subcutaneous fat under the skin which helps maintain youthful appearance.
- Gain of visceral fat around the belly and organs which raises disease risk.
- Fat often redistributes from the extremities, face and buttocks to accumulate more around the abdomen.
Hormonal shifts through puberty, menopause, pregnancy and andropause drive many fat distribution changes:
- Girls gain more fat during puberty, especially on the hips, thighs, and breasts.
- Declining estrogen after menopause leads to more abdominal fat gain in women.
- Men tend to lose muscle and gain belly fat as they age and testosterone declines.
- Pregnancy triggers fat accumulation around the hips, thighs and backside to support fetal development and lactation.
Health impact of fat distribution
Not only does body fat percentage impact health, but also fat location matters:
| Fat Location | Health Impact |
|---|---|
| Abdominal visceral | Linked to metabolic disorders, diabetes, heart disease, dementia |
| Gluteofemoral | Protective against diabetes and metabolic disease |
| Chest and upper back | Correlates with lower risk of cardiovascular events |
Abdominal fat, especially visceral fat surrounding the organs, promotes inflammation, raises blood sugar and cholesterol, and is tied to higher mortality.
Fat stored on the hips, thighs and rear end (gluteofemoral fat) may actually protect against metabolic abnormalities. It releases beneficial hormones that improve lipid and glucose metabolism.
Can you change where fat is distributed?
While challenging, it is possible to reduce fat from problem areas to some degree with consistent diet and targeted exercise over time. Some tips include:
- Focus on overall fat loss through calorie deficit rather than spot reduction.
- Engage muscles in the area you want to lean out with strength training.
- Add extra cardio to burn calories and fat from stubborn zones.
- Reduce stress and get good sleep to help optimize fat burning hormones.
That said, problem areas that correlate with your natural fat distribution may be the last places you lose fat. With extreme weight loss, the face, breasts, and buttocks often lose volume quickly.
Spot reduction through targeted exercise is difficult as the body mobilizes fat stores equally. But over time, building muscle underneath fat can help tone problem zones.
Surgical and non-invasive fat reduction options
For significant fat removal from localized areas, options beyond diet and exercise include:
- Liposuction – Invasive surgical procedure to remove fat deposits via suction.
- CoolSculpting – Freeze and destroy fat cells with controlled cooling.
- Ultrasound cavitation – Use ultrasound energy to rupture fat cell membranes.
- Radiofrequency – Heat fat cells to induce lipolysis and shrink fat layers.
- Laser lipolysis – Break down fat using fiber optic lasers.
These procedures bypass the limitations of spot reduction through natural means. However, if weight gain occurs after treatment, the distribution of new fat gain may remain unchanged.
Diet and training tips based on body type
You can strategically tailor your diet and training to complement your natural fat distribution patterns:
Apple body type
- Focus on HIIT, abdominal and core exercises to tone the midsection.
- Include steady state cardio to burn visceral fat.
- Reduce excess sugar, alcohol and processed carbs.
- Manage stress levels with meditation, yoga, etc.
Pear body type
- Train glutes, hips, and thighs with squats, lunges, and bridges.
- Go for longer duration low impact cardio like walking, swimming.
- Eat a balanced diet with healthy fats and lean protein.
- Drink plenty of water and reduce salt intake.
Hourglass body type
- Focus on full body strength training and HIIT workouts.
- Balance diet with lean proteins, fiber-rich carbs and healthy fats.
- Stay active with a mix of weightlifting and steady cardio.
- Manage stress and get enough sleep.
Potato body type
- Do more strength training than cardio for metabolism boost.
- Increase protein intake to support muscle growth.
- Cut back refined carbs and sugar.
- Drink plenty of water and eat lots of vegetables.
Conclusion
In summary, body fat distribution is influenced by age, sex hormones, genetics, and lifestyle habits. Fat accumulation patterns include apple, pear, hourglass and potato shapes.
Where we store fat impacts health risks, with excess abdominal and visceral fat increasing disease likelihood. It is possible to reduce fat in problem areas through diet, exercise, and body contouring procedures in some cases.
While you can’t necessarily change your basic body type, you can take steps through tailored nutrition and training to improve your shape over time.