Carrying excess weight on your hips ('pear shape') is associated with fewer heart problems and diabetes than carrying too much fat around your middle ('apple shape')

To find out if you are a healthy shape, measure your waist with a tape measure midway between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bone - for many people this will be the tummy button.
Then compare your results with the table below. These results can be influenced by your genetics. So you can blame your parents for your shape to some extent! However, it’s still up to you to keep your weight at a healthy level, by watching the fats in your diet - and exercising regularly.

	Keep waist measurement below	You need to lose weight if your waist measurement is above
Women	80 cm (32")	88 cm (35")
Men	94 cm (32")	102 cm (40'")