BODY TYPE DIET

Scientific studies confirm that where your curves and weight are distributed can help you predict your health status, now and in the future. Based on the three main body shapes and what they indicate about your health, we've put together some food and exercise recommendations.

APPLE

Your shape: Your weight is centred around your hips and midriff, a little like a beachball, while your bottom may be small and arms slim.

Health profile: It's likely you have some lifestyle imbalances, such as too much stress, the wrong foods, too little activity and, possibly, too much alcohol. This may have led to an excess of some hormones, such as stress hormones cortisol, adrenalin and insulin. Abdominal weight gain usually indicates a build¬ up of dangerous viscoral fat under the skin, even if you are in a healthy weight range. These fat cells are very active - they produce numerous hormones and unhealthy chemicals that increase the production of intemal inflammation and have been linked to conditions like cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes type 2 Thankfully, according to the Mayo clinic in the US, visceral fat responds very well to exercise and a healthy diet.

Ideal Diet:

- Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and whole grains and have minimal processed foods, such as white bread and pastries.

- Cut back on sweet foods and take-away.

- Choose foods with a low glycemic index and chew your food well to give your belly plenty of time to send signals to your brain that you are full.

Ideal Exercise: Jogging, cycling, team sports and weight training. Try high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, whore you do short bursts of activity followed by a brief rest - this is great for fat burning around the belly.

BANANA

Your Shape: You have a slim waist, long legs and don't easily gain weight.

Health profile: Your risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer may be lower. However, this health head start you get from your naturally slim body shape may be negated if you're a couch potato who loves fast food. "If so, then your ratio of lean muscle to fat may be unhealthy and you may be canying hidden body fat that could make you fat on the inside even though you are slim on the outside," Boutcher points out. Banana-shaped women may have slightly lower oestrogen levels, which may lead to issues such as irregular periods. Your naturally more slender frame may also mean a higher risk of developing osteoporosis (thin brittle, bones, prone to fracture),

Ideal Diet:

- Ensure you eat plenty of calcium through sources such as tahini, tinned tuna and leafy greens to boost bone health.

- Choose foods that are high in fibre to reduce snacking and keep you feeling full. Fill your plate with vegetables first.

- Eat healthy sources of protein such as oily fish and lean red meat to help sustain your muscle.

Ideal Exercise: Weight-bearing exercise such as walking, aerobics and basketball to protect bone density. If you don't enjoy the gym, try daily walking to stay fit Gentler exercises such as tai Chi and Pilates are perfect for toning and calming.

PEAR

Your shape: Your breast circumference is small to moderate, and you have a well- defined waist, which, just like a mermaid, widens out at the hips, bottom and thighs,

Health profile: The good news? "If you tend to gain weight obviously around your bottom and thigh area, this is usually due to 'subcutaneous fat', which does not raise your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes the way belly fat does," Boutcher explains. However, a little more weight in your bottora half may give you a tendency to develop blood circulation issues such as varicose veins or fluid retention in ankles and feet. Unfortunately, according to Boutcher, "Scientific evidence suggests that fat in the upper body, chest and abdomen is mobilised by the body and burned more readily than fat in the bottom, hip and thighs. This means that women with pear shapes may find the weight in their lower body stubborn to shift,"

Ideal Diet:

- Don't skip meals or skimp on protein, and include enough at every meal including lean meat, fish, chicken, eggs and legumes (such as chick peas)

- Go for a bigger breakfast and lunch and consider an evening carbohydrate curfew - e.g. no carbs after 4 or 5pm.

- Make sure snacks between meals are not too large.

Ideal Exercise: Upper body strengthening exercises combined with light cardio work like power walking or jogging to slim down your bottom half, Yoga postures are also great for slimming hips, thighs and calves.