...... WTF??? First off, please ignore that damn avatar... I'm not a cross-gender; it was a joke. LOL I'm 19 y.o female, 5'3" and 111 pounds with what I consider to be a small frame (i.e. tiny wrists, ankles, forearms, etc.). My hip-to-waist ratio puts me at an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes though. I've always thought (and everyone that I've ever asked has said) that I have an hourglass figure -- a small hourglass (because I'm a size 2), but an hourglass nonetheless! My chest is 33.5 inches, waist is 28 inches, and hips are 34 inches. Does that make me an "apple" shape? I mean, surely by the standard requirements (your waist should be 9 inches less than your hips), I'm an apple shape, but isn't that kind of relative to size? For example, someone who is a size 0 isn't going to have as dramatic of a different between hips and waist as a person who is a size 16 I would think.

Can someone please help me out? I'll pick a best answer TODAY! THANKS!

Look around you and see how many girls or women actually have 9 inches less than hips.

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it, think of it more in percentages. The real danger comes in to play when your waist is larger than your hips. You would be considered a "pear" (me too!) because your hips are larger than your chest or your waist. Don't sweat it. Make sure you eat well and exercise, and don't worry too much about what you are "supposed" to look like.

Lela Simon
ACE certified Personal Trainer
IIN Health Counselor
http://www.hellthraiser.com