THIN is not only considered beautiful. It is also synonymous with being in good shape and that means being healthy. But the latest research into a wide range of diseases is forcing scientists to redefine what is meant by good shape.
If you want to gauge how your weight is likely to affect your health, it makes more sense to reach for a tape measure than to stand on the scales. And this advice does not just apply to the frankly overweight - but to everyone. For it appears that the light-weight person, whose shape is straight up and down, may well be at greater risk of serious disease than an obviously fat person with a well-defined waist.
Researchers now believe that the type of fat laid down round the middle is biochemically different from fat laid down in other parts of the body and appears to have harmful effects on hormones and blood fats. When big amounts of this fat are laid down in the abdominal cavity, the waist/hip ratio alters - providing a clear warning sign of future health risks.
As a result, the difference between waist and hip measurements is no longer regarded as cosmetic, but as a crucial health indicator. Although fat distribution, which gives almost equal waist and hip measurements is most common among men - it has been found that women who take on this pattern acquire male cardiovascular disease risks.
The most recent studies suggest that ''apple-shaped'' females face an increased risk of breast cancer - and now, it seems of infertility too.
In February, the British Medical Journal published research showing that pear-shaped women are more likely to conceive than women who store fat round their middles.
The finding was based on a study of 500 healthy females seeking artificial insemination because their partners were infertile. The smaller the difference between their waist and hip measurements, the greater the problems of conception. These findings held true even after other factors such as weight, age and menstrual cycle regularity were taken into account.