Women's Weight Loss Guide: Key Analysis of Scientific Fat Reduction and Proper Body Shaping

Is it possible to calculate the relationship between weight and body shape?

Yes, by calculating your body fat percentage.

First, you may have heard of the term "BMI (Body Mass Index)," which is calculated by dividing weight by the square of height.

BMI = Weight (kg) ÷ [Height (m)]²

Generally, a BMI over 23 is considered overweight, and over 25 is considered obese.

Calculating body fat percentage requires using the BMI value. The calculation method is relatively complex:

Body fat percentage = [1.2 × BMI + 0.23 × Age - 5.4 - 10.8 × Gender coefficient (Male = 1, Female = 0)] × 100%

The final number is the percentage of body fat a person has. Normal body fat percentages are: Men 15%–18%, Women 25%–28%. The lower your body fat percentage, the lower the proportion of fat in your body, and the thinner you appear for the same weight. Weight loss requires considering both BMI and body fat percentage, keeping both within a healthy range, and using the combined data to evaluate your weight loss progress.

Will losing weight make you look better if you have a bad figure?

I have a patient who frequently comes to me for medication because of itchy skin. Besides getting her medicine, she keeps asking me how to lose weight. Once, I couldn't help but ask, "How much do you weigh? Why are you always thinking about losing weight?"

"Dr. Mo, you don't know, although I'm not heavy, my waist is particularly thick, and it doesn't look good. People call it a pear-shaped figure," she said with a pained expression.

We know that a "pear-shaped" figure is a typical obese body type in Asia, bulky and unattractive, and the enemy of many women. But

Can you eat away your "pear" simply by losing weight?

To know the answer, we must first understand the difference between weight and body shape.

We usually refer to weight as how much a person weighs, which you find out by stepping on a scale. However, the concept of body shape is more complex. Body shape can refer to a person's curves or their height and build; it's an aesthetic concept, dependent on how others perceive them.

What is the main determinant of body shape? Some say it's fat. That's true; excess fat can affect body shape. Some obese individuals have subcutaneous fat deposits tens of centimeters thick, accumulating in the abdomen to form a "spare tire," creating a first impression of "poor body shape." For these individuals, their body shape depends on the amount and shape of their fat.

However, for those who are not severely overweight, or who have lost weight to a certain extent and have a low body fat percentage, the amount and shape of fat are no longer the determining factors for body shape. What truly determines body shape are the skeleton and muscles.

The skeleton is like the beams and pillars of a building, supporting the skin, muscles, and fat of the human body. However, everyone's skeleton is different.

We often encounter people around us who appear thin, but upon closer inspection, reveal a surprising amount of flabby, loose flesh and loose skin. This is a typical small-framed physique. Conversely, some people may have little excess fat, yet still appear broad-shouldered and heavy-waisted; this is a typical large-framed physique.

Skeleton shapes vary greatly. Some are wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, others at the bottom and narrower at the top; some have straight and upright frames, while others have crooked frames.

However, regardless of your bone structure, it's difficult to change it after adulthood.

I read a report about a full-figured woman abroad who, because her body resembled an inverted triangle, spent three years trying to lose weight to change her appearance. She finally lost weight, but her body remained an inverted triangle, with little change. This demonstrates the decisive role that bone structure plays in determining a person's body shape.

When we see celebrity posters, we admire the female models' amazing figures. However, most people can't achieve that level of physique simply by losing weight, because female models not only have very little body fat but also perfect bone structure.

While bone structure cannot be changed, there's no need to despair. There are ways to improve your bone structure while reducing fat, and that's through muscle building.

Like fat, muscle is the filler between skin and bone. Excess fat looks like flabby flesh, but well-developed muscles create a beautiful, sculpted appearance. Therefore, if someone's figure is still unsatisfactory after losing weight, they can consider muscle building.

If you have a larger waistline, you can reshape your body by exercising your upper and lower body muscles. Some women worry that excessive muscle building will turn them into "muscle women," but this is an overreaction. Women and men have different physiological structures, and women are naturally less likely to develop the same level of muscle mass as men. For women who are not athletes, the muscles they develop after exercise are mainly covered by fat, making it difficult to see a defined muscle shape.

In short, weight loss can only help you reduce excess fat, but it cannot change your body shape. The task of shaping your body must be accomplished through muscle building.