We all come in different shapes and sizes and every woman’s body is unique, except now experts have identified four basic body shapes that all women fall into.

Body shapes are largely determined by bone structure, genetics and age. Although lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, make a huge difference to the dimensions of our bodies, it can be difficult to change your basic shape.

And now the experts have shared the good news. By identifying our body shape, we can work with it to improve our overall health and appearance.

The four main female body shapes? We have them here and what they could mean for your health…

The Apple

What is an apple?

Apple-shaped women carry excess weight around their abdomens (a ‘spare tyre’) and lack a well-defined waistline. Weight gain tends to go straight to the tummy area and results in a rounded profile.

What does this mean for your health?

Unfortunately, apple-shaped women tend to be at greater risk of many health issues than those of other shapes. According to studies, those who carry extra weight around the middle are at higher risk of diabetes, heart problems, breast cancer, depression and fertility issues.

The Apple Shape diet and exercise plan:

Anybody who is carrying extra weight will improve their health and fitness through diet and exercise.

To reduce your waistline, you should opt for a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio exercise every day. This could include running, swimming, cycling or aerobics and will target fat and improve heart health.

Be sure to stick to 1500 calories a day. Cut out the saturated fats as much as possible. As research suggests that stress can lead to increased storage of fat around the middle, apple-shaped women may also find it helpful to supplement their cardio workouts with a relaxing form of exercise such as yoga.

Easy to put weight on the tum? Christina Aguilera is an apple shape...

The Ruler

The ‘ruler’ refers to a body shape where fat is distributed evenly and measurements of your chest, hips and waist are all relatively similar, giving your body a straight ruler shape. Ruler-shaped women are not exempt from weight problems (you can still be overweight and a ruler), however it’s generally slender women that fall into this category.

What does this mean for your health?

Ruler-shaped women tend to have faster metabolisms than those of other shapes, meaning that they can lose weight more easily through diet and exercise. However, without an appropriate diet and exercise plan, ruler-shaped ladies tend to gain weight on the stomach, leading to similar health issues as apple-shaped females.

The Ruler Shape diet and exercise plan:

Luckily for ruler-shaped ladies, weight gain and loss tends to be pretty even. However, this can also cause frustration for women who long for a curvier figure.

As for all shapes, regular cardio workouts are essential for keeping weight off and maintaining good health. Ruler-shaped women may also want to incorporate a program of resistance training to help sculpt the body. By building up muscles in the chest and bum area and tightening their core, ruler-shaped females can create definition and add curves.

Although you might be thin, it is still important for to follow a healthy diet. While some slimmer individuals believe that they can eat whatever they want, a poor diet can still lead to poor health and energy levels regardless of your weight.

Slim and straight: Nicole Ritchie is a typical ruler shape.

Pear Shape

What is a pear?

According to researchers at the North Carolina State University, just over one fifth of women are pear-shaped, making it a very common body shape. Women of this shape have a larger hip than bust measurement and weight tends to settle on the lower part of the body, on the bum, hips and thighs.

What does this mean for your health?

Research has found that pear-shaped women are at greater risk of dangerous blood clots including deep vein thrombosis (DVT). But, on a brighter note, studies have also found that having a big bum and thighs has some great health benefits, as fat stored in this area mops up harmful fatty acids and cuts your risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

The Pear Shape diet and exercise plan:

Although fat stored on the hips and thighs appears to be better for your health than that stored on the tummy, being overweight still has health implications regardless of where it is stored. Furthermore, without careful weight management, pear-shaped women can start to pile on weight on the abdomen and waist too.

Pear-shaped women should focus on cardio exercises which target the lower body such as step aerobics, cycling and walking. Resistance training for the upper body can also help balance out your shape.

Pear-shaped ladies should also implement a healthy, balanced eating plan which can help with weight maintenance as well as helping to prevent cellulite, a common problem for pear-shaped ladies.

Smaller on top, J.Lo is a pear shape.

Hourglass Shape

What is an hourglass?

The hourglass shape is one of the least common body shapes, belonging to just eight per cent of women. For hourglass-shaped women the hip and bust measurements are of a similar size, with a much narrower waist measurement. Weight gain tends to accumulate on the chest, arms, hips and bum rather than the abdomen.

What does this mean for your health?

Hourglass-shaped women are lucky in that weight distribution tends to be even, rather than accumulating in one particular area of the body. They also tend not to gain weight on the tummy.

The Hourglass Shape diet and exercise plan:

Hourglass figures tend to be quite well balanced, so hourglass-shaped women should focus on maintaining their shape with full-body workouts such as circuit training; combining cardio to keep off excess weight and resistance training to tone up.

A healthy balanced diet will also help you maintain your curves.

Like apple-shaped women, hourglass-shaped ladies may also wish to opt for relaxing exercises such as yoga, as studies suggest that stress can cause fat to shift from the hips to the waist.

How jealous are we of Kim and her enviable hourglass figure...