Spot Reducing & Increasing / Question
Published: December 10, 2001
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I am so self-conscious about my weight. I constantly joke that since I am so disproportional, I look like a pear. I eat healthy, and exercise fairly regularly. I've run out of ideas, on how I can shrink my hips, and my thighs. Any ideas?
Signed: Pear Shaped
Dear Pear Shaped,
Women come in all sorts of body types, hourglass, pear shaped etc. Unfortunately, we cannot choose which one we would like our bodies to be. Just because you have a pear shaped figure certainly does not mean you are overweight or disproportionate. It simply means that your body tends to be fuller in the thigh and hip region and much thinner on top. This is perfectly normal, and is determined primarily by your genetic makeup.
There is no miracle way to slim down your thighs or other specific body areas, but you are already on the right track - eating healthy and exercising are the safest and most effective ways of improving your body's appearance. The combination of optimal nutrition and balanced exercise will decrease your percentage of body fat, improve the way you look, and the way you feel. Try exercising at least 3-4 times per week for about 30-40 minutes. Make sure that you do a mixture of both cardio and strength training, as this will help you increase your lean muscle, reduce body fat, and burn more calories. For more helpful hints look at Spot Reducer - thighs, butt and legs.
Attempting to drastically change your body type is like fighting against nature so the best course of action women can follow is to work with the body type they have. You mentioned that you are self-conscious about your weight. A healthy goal is to gradually and safely reduce your percent of body fat and not be overly concerned about the scale. Healthy women normally have up to 25 to 35 percent body fat. Having significantly less body fat increases your risk of menstrual problems, and osteoporosis. In addition to nutrition and exercise, you can affect the way your body looks by wearing clothes that emphasize your lean upper body and take unwanted attention away from your lower body. Starvation diets and calorie restriction only serve to make you miserable and more often than not, people who starve eventually gain more weight back than they lost.
Good luck and keep positive! There's no quick fix and no substitute for a lifestyle of exercise and optimal nutrition.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Teens often abuse prescription drugs because of the myth that these drugs provide a medically safe high.
