“Pear-shaped” refers to objects or bodies that are small at the top and curved outward at the bottom. It is commonly used to describe a female body type where fat is carried around the hips, thighs, and buttocks. Pear-shaped women have health benefits and risks, including a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers but a higher risk of osteoporosis and varicose veins. In some English-speaking countries, “pear-shaped” is also used as slang to describe a situation that has gone wrong.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the term pear-shaped generally refers to something that is shaped like a pear, or that, in other words, is small at the top and curved outward at the bottom. This term is often used to describe a body type common to many women. Some medical researchers believe that a woman whose figure resembles a pear has certain health benefits and risks that are dictated by her body shape. In some English-speaking countries, pear-shaped is also used as a slang term describing an event or situation that has taken a turn for the worse.
The term pear-shaped is applied to things that are similar in shape to the fruit of the pear. In other words, it refers to objects that are small at the top and curve outward from the center so that they are large at the bottom. Examples of objects that are roughly shaped like pears are the body of an acoustic guitar and some milk bottles.
One of the more familiar uses of the term pear-shaped, however, is as a descriptor of the feminine form. Women who are labeled “pears” are the ones who carry most of their fat around their hips, thighs and buttocks, making their top half look small by comparison. They contrast with apple-shaped women, who tend to carry weight around the waist, giving them a round, apple-like silhouette.
Some medical researchers believe that pear-shaped women have certain health advantages and disadvantages that are dictated by their body shape. For example, “pears” are less likely than “apples” to develop heart disease, some types of cancer, depression and diabetes. On the other hand, “pears” are more likely than “apples” to suffer from osteoporosis and varicose veins. Furthermore, despite the fact that women with small waists and large hips and thighs formed the standard of female beauty in much classical art, women with a pear shape are more likely to suffer from negative body image and eating disorders than “apples”. ”.
In the English-speaking countries of Europe and Australia, pear-shaped is used as a slang term to describe an event or situation that has taken on a bad or unexpected term. For example, if one was in a car accident while driving a date home from dinner, they might say that the date eventually turned pear-shaped. While the exact origin of this use of the term is not known, many believe it comes from the concept of a perfect circle. In other words, if an event that goes according to plan can be equated to a perfect circle, one that goes wrong can be equated to a circle that has lost its perfect shape, or become pear-shaped.
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