Female body shape is the cumulative
product of a woman's skeletal structure (her build) and the quantity and
distribution of muscle and fat on the body. There are, and have been,
wide differences on what should be considered an ideal or preferred body
shape, both for attractiveness and for health reasons. These have
varied among cultures simultaneously. As with most physical traits,
there is a wide range of normality of female body shapes.
Human
beings and their cultures have perennially focused attention on the
female body as a source of aesthetic pleasure, sexual attraction,
fertility, and reproduction. The female body occurs in a range of
shapes. The female figure is typically narrower at the waist than at the
bust and hips, and usually has one of four basic shapes: banana, pear,
apple, or hourglass. The bust, waist, and hips are called inflection
points, and the ratios of their circumferences define these basic
shapes. Usually, the bust area will depend on the person's weight and
height.
The four most common female body shapes: banana, apple, pear, and hourglass
See also: BWH
A
woman's bust, waist, and hips are her physical inflection points, and
the ratios of their circumferences, are used to define her basic shape.
These are sometimes described as banana, pear, apple or hourglass
shapes.
The bust is measured
across the fullest part of a woman's breasts, generally across the
nipple line when wearing a properly-fitting brassiere (see: Brassiere
measurements); the waist is measured at the smallest circumference of
the abdomen; and the hips are measured at the largest circumference of
the hips and buttocks.
The
hourglass shape is the Western conception of the ideal or usual female
shape, against which other shapes are compared. It is said that the
female body usually inflects inward towards the waist around the middle
of the abdomen between the costal margins and the pelvic crests.The
waist is typically smaller than the bust and hips, unless there is a
high proportion of body fat distributed around the waist. How much the
bust or hips inflect inward, towards the waist determines the structural
shape. In practice only about 8% of women have the hourglass shape.
Female shapes
The Source, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1856
Independent
of fat percentage, weight or width, female body shapes are categorised
into one of four elementary geometric shapes, though there are very wide
ranges of actual sizes within each shape:
Apple (triangle downward)
Apple
shaped women have broad(er) shoulders compared to their (narrower)
hips. Women of this bodytype have (much) higher androgen levels compared
to women with other body types. Because of this high androgen level,
the skeleton develops in a very masculine pattern. Apple shaped women
tend to have slim legs/thighs, while the abdomen and chest look out of
proportion compared to the rest of the body. Fat is mainly distributed
in the abdomen, chest, and face.
Banana or straight (rectangular)
The
waist measurement is less than 9 inches smaller than the hips or bust
measurement. The body has a relatively high androgen level compared to
the estrogen level; this causes the skeleton to develop in a bit more
masculine pattern and body fat to be distributed predominantly in the
abdomen, buttocks, chest, and face. This overall fat distribution
creates the typical ruler (straight) shape.
Pear or spoon or bell (triangle upward)
The
hip measurement is greater than the bust measurement. The distribution
of fat varies, with fat tending to deposit first in the buttocks, hips,
and thighs. As body fat percentage increases, an increasing proportion
of body fat is distributed around the waist and upper abdomen. The women
of this body type tend to have a (relatively) larger rear, robust
thighs, and a small(er) bosom.
Mohini an avatar of Vishnu shows an hourglass body shape.
Hourglass shape. (triangles opposing, facing in)
The
hip and bust are almost of equal size with a narrow waist. Body fat
distribution tends to be around both the upper body and lower body. This
body type enlarges the arms, chest, hips, and rear before other parts,
such as the waist and upper abdomen.
A
study of over 6,000 women carried out by researchers at the North
Carolina State University around 2005 found that 46% were banana
(rectangular), just over 20% pear, just under 14% apple, and 8%
hourglass. Another study has found "that the average woman's waistline
had expanded by six inches since the 1950s" and that today women are
taller and have bigger busts and hips than those of the 1950s.
"Dimensions"
A woman's "dimensions" are often
expressed by the circumference around the three inflection points. For
example, "36-29-38" in imperial units would mean a 36" bust, 29" waist
and 38" hips.
A woman's bust
measure incorporates her breast size, as reflected in her bra cup size.
For example, a woman with a bra size of 36A has a rib cage of 31-32
inches in circumference (measured under the breasts) and a bust measure
of 37 inches; a woman with a bra size 34C has a rib cage of 29-30 inches
around, but the same bust measure of 37 inches. However, the woman with
a 34C breast size will appear "bustier" because of the apparent
difference in bust to ribcage ratio.
Height
will also affect the appearance of the figure. A woman who is 36-24-36
at 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) height will look different from a woman who is
36-24-36 at 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) height. Since the taller woman's figure
has greater distance between measuring points, she will likely appear
thinner or less curvy than her shorter counterpart, again, even though
they both have the same BWH ratio and the same weight. This is because
the taller woman is actually thinner as expressed by her lower BMI, or
body mass index, used to measure body weight in relation to height.
The
use of BWH measurements for anything other than garment fitting is thus
something of a shell game when applied to social body acceptance and
evaluation. BWH is an indicator of fat distribution, not fat percentage.
The
British Association of Model Agents (AMA) says that female models
should be around 34-24-34 in (86-60-86 cm) and at least 5 ft 8 in (1.73
m) tall
Changes to body shape
The aging process has an
inevitable impact on a person's body shape. A woman's sex hormone levels
will affect the fat distribution on her body. Concentrations of
estrogen will influence where body fat is stored.
Before
puberty both males and females have a similar waist-hip ratio. At
puberty, a girl's sex hormones, mainly estrogen, will promote breast
development, and until menopause a woman's estrogen levels will cause
her body to store excess fat in the buttocks, hips and thighs, but
generally not around her waist, which will remain about the same size as
it was before puberty. These factors result in women's WHR being lower
than for males. During and after pregnancy, a woman experiences body
shape changes. After menopause, with the reduced production of estrogen
by the ovaries, there is a tendency for fat to redistribute from a
female's buttocks, hips and thighs to her waist or abdomen.
Alteration of body shape
Various strategies are sometimes
employed to temporarily or permanently alter the shape of a body. The
most common include dieting and exercise.
At
times artificial devices are used or surgery is employed. Breast size
can be artificially increased or decreased. Falsies, breast prostheses
or padded bras may be used to increase the apparent size of a woman's
breasts, while minimiser bras may be used to reduce the apparent size.
Breasts can be surgically enlarged using breast implants or reduced by
the systematic removal of parts of the breasts.
Historically,
great efforts have been made to reduce a woman's waist line. The use of
boned corsets, for example, was practiced for several centuries. The
corset reached its climax during the Victorian era. In twentieth century
these corsets were mostly replaced with more flexible/comfortable
foundation garments. Where corsets are used for waist reduction, it may
be temporary reduction by occasional use or permanent reduction by
people who are often referred to as tightlacers. Liposuction and the new
and improved method liposculpture are common surgical methodes for
reducing the waist line.
Padded
control briefs or hip and buttock padding may be used to increase the
apparent size of hips and buttocks. Buttock augmentation surgery may be
used to increase the size of hips and buttocks to make them look more
rounded.
Social and health issues
Venus at a mirror, Rubens, c. 1615
Each
society develops a general perception of what an ideal female body
shape would be like. These ideals are generally reflected in the art and
literature produced by or for a society, as well as in popular media
such as films and magazines. The ideal or preferred female body size and
shape has varied over time and continues to vary among cultures; but a
preference for a small waist has remained fairly constant throughout
history. A low waist-hip ratio has often been seen as a sign of good
health and reproductive potential.
A
low waist-hip ratio has also often been regarded as an indicator of
attractiveness of a woman, but recent research suggests that
attractiveness is more correlated to body mass index than waist-hip
ratio, contrary to previous belief. Historically, according to Devendra
Singh, there was a trend for slightly larger women in the 17th and 18th
centuries, as typified by the paintings of Rubens, but that in general
there has been a preference for a slimmer waist in Western culture. He
notes that "The finding that the writers describe a small waist as
beautiful suggests instead that this body part - a known marker of
health and fertility - is a core feature of feminine beauty that
transcends ethnic differences and cultures."
New
research suggests that apple-shaped women have the highest risk of
developing heart disease, while hourglass-shaped women have the lowest.
Diabetes professionals advise that a waist measurement for a woman of
over 80cm increases the risk of heart disease, but that ethnic
background also plays a factor. This is because body fat buildup around
the waist (the apple shape) poses a higher health risk than a fat
buildup at the hips (the pear shape).
Waist-hip ratio
Main article: Waist-hip ratio
The
waist-hip ratio (WHR) is a person's waist measurement divided by the
hip measurement. Notwithstanding wide cultural differences in
preferences for female build, scientists have discovered that the
waist-hip ratio of any build is very strongly correlated to the
perception of attractiveness across all cultures.Women with a 0.7 WHR
(waist circumference that is 70% of the hip circumference) are usually
rated as more attractive by men from European cultures. Such diverse
beauty icons as Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, and the Venus de Milo all
have ratios around 0.7. In other cultures, preferences vary,ranging from
0.6 in China, to 0.8 or 0.9 in parts of South America and Africa, and
divergent preferences based on ethnicity, rather than nationality, have
also been noted.
WHR has been
found to be a more efficient predictor of mortality in older people than
waist circumference or body mass index (BMI).
Female body image
Main article: Body image
Body
image refers to the perceptions of a human's own physical appearance,
or the internal sense of having a body which is interpreted by the
brain. Essentially a person's body image is how they perceive their
exterior to look, and in many cases this can be dramatically different
from how they actually appear to others. Studies have found that females
tend to think more about their body shape and endorse thinner figures
than men even into old age.When female undergraduates were exposed to
depictions of thin women their body satisfaction decreased, but rose
when exposed to larger models.
Media impact on body image
See also: Anorexia nervosa
Women, Rubens, c. 1625
Many
commentators regard the emphasis in the media and in the fashion
industry on thinness and on an ideal female body size and shape as being
psychologically detrimental to the well-being of many young women, and
on their self-image which also gives rise to excessive dieting and/or
exercise, and to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.
Sociocultural studies highlight the role of cultural factors in the
incidence of anorexia nervosa in women, such as the promotion of
thinness as the ideal female form in Western industrialized nations,
particularly through the media. A recent epidemiological study of
989,871 Swedish residents indicated that gender, ethnicity and
socio-economic status were highly correlated with the chance of
developing anorexia nervosa, and women with non-European parents were
among the least likely to be diagnosed, while women in wealthy, ethnic
Swedish families were most at risk.
A
study by Garner and Garfinkel demonstrated that those in professions
where there is a particular social pressure to be thin (such as models
and dancers) were much more likely to develop anorexia during their
career, and further research suggests that those with anorexia have much
higher contact with cultural sources that promote weight-loss.
Although
anorexia nervosa is usually associated with Western cultures, exposure
to Western media is thought to have led to an increase in cases in
non-Western countries. But other cultures may not display the same
worries about becoming fat as those in the West, and instead may
emphasise other common features.
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