"Apple shape" heart risk doubts

InstantSunshine

OK my lovely people, what do we all think about this?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12702227

It's been the received wisdom for as long as I can remember that being an "apple" puts one at greater risk of heart disease, and here comes the Lancet casting doubt. Which is good, right? It shows that science is prepared to change its mind when faced with new evidence and that it never stops wanting to find out more. Which sets it apart from dogma. Which is good.

Just wondering what MFP will think about this.

Be warned, the accompanying picture does show some alarming moobs! :laugh:

kettlewitch

I saw this on the news yesterday. I am an apple (currently of the giant cooking variety but on my way to being a little cox) but although the study is good news it wont really make a difference to me. I'm fat and need to lose weight. If I was a pear and still weighed almost 19 stone I wouldn't think, ah I'm fine cos all my weight is in my bum, I'd still be fat and still need to lose weight! Does just go to show how thinking changes though. I saw a diet book from the 60's a few years ago and it was full of fat and cream and I remember wondering how anyone in that decade ever lost weight. And then along came atkins.....

johnthefatman

Doesn't really make much difference - you are at risk of heart disease from being fat no matter what shape you are - it's just that apples are no longer to seen as having a higher risk - tough on the pears who were comforted by the old view.

digby765

have to say i saw this too, and immediately thought "nope not falling for it, until i see actual proof" mean time still working on the weight loss and fat reduction... No matter what my shape and it's shall we say 'interesting' just now smaller hips than boobs and a spare tyre in the middle 'apple' perhaps lol either way not a good look, and one i'm working on changing, my goal is simply to feel and look fitter, and have my clothes fit nicely too...11lb down loads more to go but i have my sights firmly fixed on the goal :happy:

hemlock2010

I've always thought it was sort of a pointless piece of information anyway, since we can't control where our bodies put fat. I choose to lose weight because I want to be more fit, but if I woke up one morning with all the fat redistributed around my bum (pear-shaped) instead of my middle (apple), I wouldn't suddenly decided I don't need to lose weight after all.

But did you notice the way the experts quoted in the article rushed to say that fat, by itself, is still bad even though cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes are still better measures of heart health? Huh.