Body types - What are they? How to determine your type? Does an ideal exist? Body Type: Inverted Triangle

There are a huge number of body types on the Internet, and often such numerous classifications are more confusing than they provide any clarity.
In fact, the type of figure is determined by the proportions and figure of the body, which develop after puberty, depending on the ratio of female and male hormones. The more femininity a girl has, the more female hormones are produced, the more feminine her figure will be. Therefore, develop femininity in your daughters from a young age, so that they do not later suffer with a male body type.
So, the ideal female body, the so-called “golden ratio” silhouette, is a figure with sloping narrow shoulders, a narrow high waist, wide hips and moderately long legs relative to height. The difference between the waist and hips is often more than 30 cm. If you look at the figure from the side, you will see a strong arch in the lower back and voluminous buttocks. Ideally, the girl should be slim and about 170 cm tall. We call it fitted.

Unfortunately, this type of figure can now only be found in women from old Soviet and Hollywood films, in those who are over 50, and living in distant Siberian cities and villages remote from large cities, which suggests that with femininity we have developed obvious problems.
I promise to master this wisdom and introduce it into a course of consultations and a series of articles, but for now you can begin to learn it yourself, and also read about my successes along this path in the “Notes of a Real Woman” communities on Livejournal and Facebook.
In the meantime, we are learning to be feminine, correcting the figure, bringing it closer to the ideal with the help of a huge number of visual correction tools provided in our sets and which will soon be described in personal lookbooks, which you can order personally according to your parameters and receive by mail.
So, fitted figure type. Of course, everything that is most feminine goes with such a figure: dresses with sun-half-sun skirts, pleated fabrics, thin flowing fabrics, fitted jackets, peplums, puffed sleeves and other elements that favorably emphasize smooth rounded lines. Now this body type is found in a subtype with short, plump legs and shorter stature. On the Internet they call it “pear”.

If this is your type, then you can wear all of the above except puff sleeves, but from denser, wrinkle-resistant fabrics, visually lengthening your legs using various visual correction methods. Those. the pear needs to adjust the legs in the direction of visual lengthening relative to the total length of the body, and also not to overload the waist-shoulder area, so as not to lose the main advantage of this type - a noticeable difference between the waist and hips.

ATTENTION!
If you have beautiful rounded hips, this is your big plus, because against their background your waist appears thinner and your figure is more feminine and attractive to the opposite sex.


The second type of figure, the so-called semi-fitted. It is also characterized by a noticeable difference between the waist and hips (20-30 cm), a noticeable deflection in the lower back, but wider shoulders, often comparable to the width of the hips. On the Internet it is called “hourglass” or “guitar”. The main advantage of this type is also the presence of a waist, so all feminine, fitted shapes will also be appropriate here. But since the shoulders are quite wide relative to the ideal, we always adjust them towards narrowing.

As a rule, as the size increases, the semi-fitted type remains as such, but requires more attention in terms of visual correction with the help of clothing.

The next type is straight. It is characterized by a minimal difference between the waist and hips (less than 20 cm), the deflection in the lower back is often poorly defined, and the buttocks may be flat. If the size is small, and the girl is into a non-feminine form of fitness, the figure is often similar to a man’s. I will not describe here the psychological problems due to which this type of figure is formed, this is still work in progress, now let’s talk about visual correction. And my observations of the behavior of women in different clothes proved that with the help of clothes it is possible and necessary to increase the level of femininity.

So, if you have a slender, straight type, without a belly and excess on the sides, then you can visually draw a waist by increasing the volume of the hips with various voluminous skirts and trousers with tucks, as well as reducing the width of the waist-shoulder area (contrast jackets, vertical darts on dresses and jackets, etc.).

On the Internet you can still find the “triangular” figure type - this is the same straight line, but with even wider shoulders.

As a rule, the big advantage of a straight type of any size is long legs relative to the body and beautiful chest, so this particular type can wear all the innovations of the 20th century - trousers with a low waistline, tunic dresses in the shape of a bat or with wide one-piece sleeves and mini skirts. But I advise you not to get carried away with them, so as not to lose feminine energies.

If you have a straight body type and a large size, then there are bows for you that correct the proportions along the entire length and the waist-shoulder area.

Another type of figure is round. This type can form due to hormonal imbalance or when the previous types become plump. It is characterized by voluminous shapes along the entire length of the body, requiring proper handling and careful visual correction.

As always, I wish you to be stylish.
Your personal image stylist, Katerina Savkina.

Waist to hip ratio(English abbreviation WHR, which can be translated as THR - waist-hip ratio) is the ratio of the circumference at the waist to the circumference at the hips.

Such a generally accepted abbreviation as TBS actually no, but it will be used in this article for easier reading.

This indicator is very popular in the West, where a lot of research has been conducted on its effect on attractiveness, as well as as an indicator of health.

How to measure your waist and hip circumference correctly

There are rules developed by different organizations to make these measurements correctly. While everything is simple with hips, when measuring the waist, different organizations use slightly different measurement standards.

Measuring the hips and waist: for a thin person (left), the waist should be measured correctly at the narrowest point, while for a fuller person (right) it should be measured approximately 2 cm above the navel. The hips are measured at their widest part, regardless of the figure (approximately in the middle).

Waist and hip measurement rules used by world-famous organizations

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) protocol, waist circumference should be measured midway between the lower edge of the lower rib and the top of the iliac crest (the upper pelvic bone, seen from the side). A measuring tape is used for this (colloquially “centimeter”). When tightened, it should create a pressure equivalent to 100 grams. Hip circumference should be measured around the widest part of the buttocks, using the same tape, parallel to the floor.

The US National Institutes of Health and the National Nutrition Examination Program use results obtained by measuring at the top of the iliac crest—essentially where we typically have the waistband of standard pants.

Often, non-professionals measure the waist at the level of the navel, but studies have shown that this method can often result in an understatement of its actual circumference.

When measuring both circumferences, the person should have their feet side by side, arms apart, body weight evenly distributed, and no excess clothing. Breathing should be normal, calm, and measurements should be taken at the end of exhalation. Each measurement is repeated twice, and if there is a centimeter difference between them, then the average results are taken.

The easiest way to measure your waist and hips correctly

In practice, in order not to delve into all these subtleties, the waist with a slender figure is most correctly measured simply in the area of ​​​​its smallest circumference, as a rule, slightly above the navel. In cases where the waist is convex rather than concave, for example, as happens during pregnancy or when you are overweight, the location of the smallest circumference is often more difficult to determine. In such cases, to determine the degree of obesity, a measurement is taken a couple of centimeters above the navel. Hip circumference can be measured simply visually at the widest part of the buttocks.

Do not forget that these are the rules for taking measurements to determine the degree of obesity and other health indicators, and not for sewing or selecting clothes.

Waist to hip ratio in a healthy person

Waist-to-hip ratio is used as an indicator and measure of a person's health. Using this coefficient, you can see the degree of risk of developing serious diseases. Research shows that people with an apple body shape (waist wider than the hips) face greater health risks than those with a pear body shape, whose hips are wider than the waist.

This ratio is also used to determine obesity, which in turn serves as an indicator of other more serious diseases.

WHO states that abdominal obesity occurs when the waist-to-hip ratio is greater than 0.90 for men and 0.85 for women, or greater than 30.0. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), women who have a THR greater than 0.8 and men who have it greater than 1.0 are at increased health risk.

HBS is a better predictor of life expectancy in older people than waist circumference or BMI (body mass index). But if obesity is determined by this indicator, instead of BMI, then the number of people in the world who are at increased risk of a heart attack will decrease by three times. Waist-to-hip ratio is considered to more accurately indicate the percentage of body fat relative to body weight than waist circumference or BMI. Of these three values, only TBS takes into account differences in body structure (muscle mass, bone width, fat). Thus, it is possible for two women to have completely different weights but the same waist-to-hip ratio, or to have the same BMI but completely different waist-to-hip ratios.

Even in ancient civilizations around the world, ideal women were most often represented with a TBC in the range of 0.6-0.7. Simply put, a woman who had much wider hips than her waist was considered more beautiful. Most likely, this is explained by the subconscious understanding of men that a woman with wide hips is more predisposed to having children. But more about this later in the article.

According to some studies, WBS is a better predictor of your chances of developing cardiovascular disease than waist circumference and body mass index. But others show that waist circumference is a more accurate indicator of cardiovascular risk factors, body fat distribution and hypertension in people with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, it is impossible to say unequivocally which of these indicators can tell more about health.

Waist and hip volume as an indicator of reproduction

A THR of 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men has been shown to be closely associated with overall health and the ability to give birth or conceive a child. Women with a TPS of around 0.7 have optimal estrogen levels and are less susceptible to underlying diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and ovarian cancer. Women with a high waist-to-hip ratio (0.80 or higher) have a significantly lower chance of becoming pregnant than those with a WHR of 0.70-0.79, regardless of their BMI. Men with a TPS of around 0.9 similarly have a better chance of conceiving and are also less likely to get prostate and testicular cancer.

Research shows that the ratio of waist to hip length is an accurate indicator of reproductive health, in terms of the body's production of the necessary hormones for this. Among girls with the same weight, with lower TBS rates, puberty occurs earlier. This is manifested in the growth of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), as well as the sex steroid hormone - estradiol.

A Dutch prospective (with a selected group of people) study of artificial insemination confirmed an increase in the chances of getting pregnant with low TBS back in 1993. It showed that with an increase of 0.1 unit of hip joint, it reduces the likelihood of conception in a cycle by 30%. This is adjusted for age, weight, reasons for artificial insemination, length and regularity of cycles, and smoking.

The influence of mother's waist and hip size on child's cognitive abilities

American scientists even studied the relationship between the cognitive abilities (roughly speaking, thinking) of young children and the waist-to-hip ratio of their mothers (WHR). As a result of the tests, it was found that children whose mothers had wider hips and smaller hip joints were more mentally developed. This is explained by the fact that the fetus received additional long-chain polyunsaturated acids from the fat on the mother's thighs. In addition, statistics also show that children of girls with low TBS who became mothers in adolescence were more protected from cognitive impairment associated with having a child at too young an age.

What determines the size of the waist and hips

Twin studies have shown that 22-61% of waist-to-hip ratios can be explained by genetic factors. Among other factors, nutrition and lifestyle occupy the first places.

Ideal waist to hip ratio

Some researchers have found that waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is an important measure of female attractiveness. Women with a TBI of 0.7 tend to be rated as more attractive by men from Indo-European cultures. Tastes can vary, according to some studies, from 0.6 (in China, South America, and parts of Africa) to 0.8 (in Cameroon and the Hazda tribe of Tanzania), with diverging preferences depending on ethnicity.

It seems that men pay more attention to a woman's waist size than her hip size. The Journal of Biological Psychology had this to say about this:

« The size of your hips and waist indicates the amount of extra fat that can be used as an energy source. The waist conveys information such as current reproductive status or health conditions... in Western countries where there are no seasonal food shortages, the waist, conveying information about fertility and health status, will be more important than hip size in assessing female attractiveness«.

Thus, the size of the hip joint, which indicates the onset of puberty, sexuality, reproduction, hormonal disorders and distinguishes a man from a woman, differs in different populations.

The influence of waist-to-hip ratio on attractiveness (research results)

The concept and meaning of TBS as an indicator of attractiveness was first described in 1993 by an American psychologist named Devendra Singh. He argued that this ratio is more consistent than the bust-waist ratio (BWR).

In a series of studies conducted by Singh (1993), participating men used a woman's HB and body fat distribution to determine her attractiveness. The men were shown a series of 12 drawings of women with different HB scores and the distribution of fat in their body. Women in the drawings with normal fat distribution and moderate TBS were associated with the most positive traits (i.e., sexy, smart, and healthy). When considering the depicted women with low TBS (small difference between the waist and hips), other than youth, men did not associate them with anything positive.

In this study, Singh suggested that men and women may have developed innate mechanisms that detect and use waist-to-hip ratio to assess how healthy a person is. Having a certain waist-to-hip ratio increases the chances of getting healthy offspring with hereditary genetic protection against various diseases.

Other studies have found that TJ is a sign of attractiveness that goes beyond just fat and fertility. For example, a study was conducted using eye tracking techniques on men while they digitally manipulated the same woman. In addition to eye tracking, subjects were also asked to rate the image based on attractiveness. Although men fixed their eyes during the study mainly on women's breasts, regardless of its size, they called the most attractive a woman with a TBC of 0.7.

In addition, a study was conducted by Joson and Tazinari in 2005. The reaction to an animated human walking was considered. It turns out that men not only use TBS to evaluate attractiveness, but also as a means to determine sexual differences. At the same time, a person with a higher waist-to-hip ratio is perceived as more masculine. And with a lower value, when the hips are not so noticeably wider than the waist, the object seems more feminine and gentle. The authors of this study suggest that this provides an additional explanation for why men perceive lower TBI as more attractive. It was also concluded that for this reason, men who have a smaller hip joint feel less confident and independent than men with a higher and more courageous hip joint.

To increase attractiveness, some women artificially change their waist-to-hip ratio. These methods include using a corset to reduce the size of the waist and visually increase the apparent size of the hips and buttocks. During various such attempts during the 20th century, manufacturers used sizing calculations called hipspring, which translated means “spring hips” or “spring hips,” to make corsets. In this case, the height of the part of the corset for tightening the waist was calculated by subtracting the waist size from the hip size. However, this method of calculating sizes fell out of use because it often gave a poor indicator of attractiveness. For example, a size 10 inches (250 mm height of the corset) will look very attractive on an adult woman with average parameters, but a child or small woman with a corset of this size will look like an undernourished person.

In the case of TBS, the brain evaluates the level of attractiveness based on the ability to reproduce offspring (reproductivity), and on the presence of fat in the body. This was confirmed by one interesting American study. The computer simulated female bodies with real height and body weight (BMI), but an irregular body shape (BBS), and then vice versa. Twelve trial participants (6 men and 6 women) were observed using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) as they looked at these different female forms. Based on the reaction of brain areas, it turned out that the level of attractiveness depends directly on BMI, and not on the waist-hip index (WHI). It was the ratio of weight and height that was responsible for the reactions in the brains of people who evaluated simulated female figures. This study also found that judgment of ideal body shape may differ among people with eating disorders.

There was also one study conducted in 1995 regarding waist-to-hip ratio. It was attended by 137 Englishmen aged from 16 to 67 years, among them 98 women. As a result, we got a very banal result, which could have been said without research. It turned out that the attractiveness of a woman's breasts depends on the amount of fat in her body and her waist-to-hip ratio. Although most previous studies have shown that young women rate body ideality only on the basis of a slim figure, large breasts only modestly increase their femininity and health attributes. Even in this study, a figure with a high hip (without much difference in waist and hips) and large breasts was rated as the least attractive and healthy by all participants.

The waist-to-hip ratio is an indicator of a person's gender expression. For example, women with a high indicator, and men with a low one, are usually rated less attractive by the opposite sex.

The effect of nutrition on fat deposition in the waist and hips

There have been a number of studies examining the effect of diet on changes in waist circumference, taking into account body mass index. Below are the main results.

A diet of whole grain barley flakes reduces LDL (low-density lipoprotein) levels and waist size in overweight and obese adults. This diet performed better in studies than a low-fiber diet. There was no difference in total weight loss between the groups on these two diets.

There was a more than 3-fold reduction in excess waist fat in people over a year who switched to a diet that included plenty of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains. What else was accompanied by a decrease in the amount of baked goods, processed meats, fast food and carbonated sweet drinks in the diet.

A 2011 study showed that a diet high in fruit and dairy products, and low in white bread, meat, margarine and soft drinks, may help prevent abdominal fat accumulation.

Waist-Hip Ratio Calculator

In principle, the formula for calculating this ratio is very simple. All you need to do is divide the circumference of your waist by the circumference of your hips. As a result, we obtain a coefficient referred to in this article as TBS. But for convenience, below is a calculator to make this calculation.

Have you noticed that some women have a pronounced waist. For others, even if they have one, the waist is offset by overly broad shoulders or narrow, almost youthful hips.

Fashion designers, and even nutritionists, having collected data and analyzed it, identified 6 main types of female figures:

Hourglass, Pear, Rectangle, Apple, Inverted Triangle and Slender Column.

Body type: Hourglass

Most of the fair sex dream of having one like this type female figure. The difference between the waist and chest volume, between the hips and waist volume is 25 cm or more. At the same time, the hips are sloping, the chest is rounded. Even if a woman gains a couple of kilograms or loses them, this will not particularly affect her figure - it will still be pronounced.

Body type: Pear

This figure is also compared to an amphora or guitar. This is the most feminine body type. In any case, he is held in high esteem in India, where a future wife is judged precisely by her body type—whether she can bear a baby.

This type is characterized by curvy hips and narrow, but not bony, shoulders. Against the background of wide hips, the waist seems thin, although the difference in girth may be less than 25 cm. The chest is not very full.

As for height, girls with the same body type are usually of petite or medium height. But the build can be anything: from slender to chubby.

Body type: Rectangle

In women with this type of figure, the tummy often protrudes forward, regardless of whether they are overweight or not. Everything eaten is deposited in the stomach, and not distributed throughout the body. At the same time, the legs are slender.

The chest may be small, although the chest is massive and wide. The circumference of the shoulders is almost equal to the circumference of the hips. This type of figure is often found in women of average and below average height.

Body Type: Inverted Triangle

Ladies with this figure have wide shoulders and narrow hips. At the same time, the waist is not particularly noticeable. The butt is almost flat, but there are lush breasts and slender legs. This figure is usually found in female track and field athletes.

Body type: Slim Column

Those with a column figure have slender hips, small breasts, narrow shoulders and an almost undefined waist. They are also called the “ugly duckling” - a youthful figure, long limbs, tall stature. But if this is a mature girl, a woman, she is simply slender and her body is already proportional, although it seems fragile. Overall the impression of grace and lightness is created.

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But the latest scientific research has proven that its perception is much less subjective than previously thought. In fact, says New Zealand anthropologist Barnaby Dixon, men are attracted to women with very specific body parameters. Moreover - and this must inevitably cause a storm of protest - the scientist insists that the weight category is not of decisive importance.

The secret formula for female attractiveness, calculated by an anthropologist, is based on a principle that is not so new. As is known, the interest of the stronger sex in the weaker is based on sexual instincts formed already in prehistoric times. These ancient tyrants, hiding in the subconscious, push men to search for an ideal female - a trustworthy continuator of the family, whose fertility is literally written on her face (more precisely, a little lower).

What physiological sign of fertility is most striking? Of course, wide hips, which, in turn, indicate the width of the pelvis. But men, when assessing the appearance of a potential partner, of course, are not aware of all these delicate nuances - they focus on a purely visual effect. And to achieve it, the owner of a “prolific” figure does not necessarily have to have a rear part the size of a horse’s croup or a ship’s stern. The whole point is in the relationship between the circumferences of the hips and waist, thanks to which an alluring curve appears in the outline.

And anthropology doctor Barnaby Dixon from the University of Victoria calculated this ratio by forcing a group of male volunteers to look at specially processed images of the same woman. Taking a more or less abstract model as a basis, the scientist’s colleagues, using a computer program, modified her figure in the photograph, creating several completely different options. In some photographs, the experimental lady turned out to be busty and wide-hipped, in others she was slender, in others she was plump.

The subjects had to stare at these modifications in order to then rate them on a scale of ten, while infrared cameras recorded every eye movement, determining the direction of gaze.

Based on the results of the experiment, the composition of the “favorites” was determined. Researchers, having studied the camera readings, revealed the secret of their attractiveness: it turns out that men’s gaze froze at the waist and slid lower along the hips, and then rose back, and so on several times. Having discovered the scope of action of the basic instinct, scientists measured the difference between the waist and hip volumes of those virtual models that the volunteers liked, and obtained the desired result.

So, here it is - the formula for female attractiveness: divide the waist by the hips and get 0.7. By the way, the “gold” standard 90-60-90 falls short of the Dixon formula by several hundredths. Either the waist is too big, or the hips are too narrow... But the calculations of the New Zealand anthropologist are supported by examples from the stellar world - not model, but not raising doubts about their seductiveness. Those same seven-tenths of the difference between the waist and hips are found in the unforgettable Marilyn Monroe and Jessica Alba, the famous Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio and, paradoxically, the bony brawler Kate Moss.

Barnaby Dixon was not lazy and tested the validity of his calculations on men from other countries. It turned out that not only New Zealanders are susceptible to the secret formula, but also residents of Great Britain, Cameroon, Germany and China. “As I expected, this does not depend on the country and culture,” says the anthropologist. “The optimal ratio between the waist and hips gives the woman such contours of the figure, at the sight of which a signal light comes on in the male’s brain. “This individual is healthy, she will give birth “Your healthy children,” instinct dictates to him.”

The study echoes those scientific projects whose results were published last year in Germany. Experts from the University of Regensburg have found that the steep curves of a female figure are more attractive to men than long legs and athletic muscle elasticity. They shed light on the reverse process, calculating the laws of male attractiveness and reassuring those guys for whom the concept of “stronger sex” does not include physical strength.

It turns out that women do not fall for hypertrophied biceps and triceps, nurtured with great effort in the sweaty stuffiness of the “rocking chair,” but for signs of tenderness and sensitivity, which pumped up muscles, you see, are not. “The subconscious mind tells them to look for effeminate traits in a potential partner that indicate a lack of aggression, because it is a person with a gentle character and balanced temperament that will become the best father for the intended offspring,” explained the study authors.