53 A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise The location of body fat also seems to play an important role in health and disease risk. Individuals who carry more fat around their waist are at a greater health and disease risk than individuals who carry it elsewhere in the body. Generally speaking, males accumulate more fat around their waist thus giving them an apple-shaped (aka android) appearance. Conversely, females generally accumulate more fat around their hips and buttocks thus giving them a pear-shaped (aka gynoid) appearance. Figure 3.9 depicts the two primary body fat distribution patterns. Figure 3.9. Android and Gynoid Fat Distribution Patterns Techniques for Assessing Body Composition Circumference Measurements (aka Girth Measurements). Circumference measurements are measurements taken at specific anatomical sites that can be used to assess body size. Although circumference measurements by themselves, tell us very little about actual body composition, this can be an effective means of assessing progress toward meeting body composition goals. For example, increases in upper arm girth can be testament of muscle hypertrophy as a result of regular ST. Similarly, a decrease in waist girth can be testament of fat loss as a result of regular exercise and healthy dietary practices. Figure 3.10 depicts some of the positive changes that can occur in body composition as a result of regular exercise. For this reason, regular circumference measurement should be performed in addition to weekly weigh-ins. Weigh-ins alone cannot determine if fluctuations in weight following exercise and/or dieting are a result of fat loss, muscle gain or both. Estimated percent body fat percentages based on waist circumference are provided in Appendix B (Latour et al., 2019).
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