Asian women's distribution of fat?

[Natural One]

Why is it that asian women tend to store their fat in their stomachs and have skinny limbs (like men) and have small breasts and no ass....while american women tend to carry the fat in the arms, legs, and ass (the complete opposite) and have tons of nasty cellulite. Is it a hormonal thing? Is their diet that anti-estrogenic? Is the typical american diet that pro-estrogen because I know it's pro-fucked-up hormone levels?

 

[fawnmarie]

Because of genetics.

Asian women who are American (which is a nationality, btw, not an ethnic group), and eat 'American' diets still tend to store fat in the midsection and have thin limbs.

BF storage patterns match the climate of the area where different ethnic groups evolved. It is believed that Asian people developed their ethnic characteristic in an extremely cold climate - possibly one reason the bf storage is located around the midsection, perhaps to keep core temperatures steady (and thus uterine temperatures) - as well as eye shape (to protect against snow blindness), thick hair for insulation, etc. etc.

African women have hair will break at a shorter length than a Caucasion or Asian - keeping it off the neck and back and aiding temperature regulation. African women also tend to lower body fat - which may be to increase surface area and increase evaporation and cooling near the uterus.

European women can grow longer hair which is a form of insulation. European women are also good at storing fat. People that evolved where season temperatures (and food supplies) vary so widely need to be able to put in winter stores. European women tend to have a more all-over body fat pattern - despite the fact they are all convinced they are pear shaped.

REAL 'Americans' (i.e. Native Americans) tend to favor an all-over fat pattern. There were originally Asian, but have modified in this continent - becoming much stockier. You rarely see fat Native Americans, although they can be chubby.

Mother Nature tends not to care what we look like, as long as we reproduce.

Fawn

 

[strongchick]

I am African American, and I tend toward fat. Most African American women I know tend toward fatter bodies all over, with some exceptions, of course.

I have longer than shoulder length hair.

But none of this ethnicity stuff really counts, considering most folks I know are multiracial.

But anyway...what I REALLY notice is that us Black folks (multiracial included) tend to gain weight from high glycemic carbs. This took me sooooo long to figure out....and one day I woke up after reading book after book after book on exercise and diet.

Therefore...I would venture to say...even though this is supposed to be a thread about Asian women....that African American women will AUTOMATICALLY lose ten or more pounds with no change in their physical activity if they

cut pasta and bread out of their diets, period.

Which also leads me to believe, like a research article I read supports....that wheat based diets are not necessarily good for all humans.

oopss...way off subject. sorry. I'll leave now.

Because of genetics.


African women have hair will break at a shorter length than a Caucasion or Asian - keeping it off the neck and back and aiding temperature regulation. African women also tend to lower body fat - which may be to increase surface area and increase evaporation and cooling near the uterus.

 

[Natural One]

I meant asian as a native or inhabitant of Asia.

 

[strongchick]

Why is it that asian women tend to store their fat in their stomachs and have skinny limbs (like men) and have small breasts and no ass....while american women tend to carry the fat in the arms, legs, and ass (the complete opposite) and have tons of nasty cellulite. Is it a hormonal thing? Is their diet that anti-estrogenic? Is the typical american diet that pro-estrogen because I know it's pro-fucked-up hormone levels?

Come to think of it....why do Asian women age so quickly after 40? Not enough estrogen?

 

[fawnmarie]

Sorry, strongchick,

I didn't mean 'lower body fat' I meant 'fat in the lower body'.

Your observations on AA women are more valid than mine, but most of the African American women I've known tended to carry their fat below the waist. I'm only speculating as to why.

And NO, you can't really stereotype groups, its just that there tends to be trends in ethnic groups. Many of these differences in features developed because of where these groups evolved.

Which is why (in answer to the original question) Asian women carry their fat in the belly. Because of genetics - NOT because of diet. Asian women eating an American diet still carry their fat on their bellies.

Most people are so integrated that it barely matters anymore. I'm a mutt, myself and it's hard to tell what came from which group of ancestors.

As far as African-American hair - all hair is genetically designed to break off or fall out once it gets to a certain weight/length. This measurement seems to be lower for African Americans than it is for caucasions or asians.

I know this professionally - from working with hair of both caucasions and African Americans and this is what I was taught in cosmetology school. African Americans can grow their hair long, but have to take better care of it to do so. This has also been confirmed by every African American hair stylist I've worked with - that black hair requires very diligent care for length. Most caucasians can grow their hair long simply by forgetting to get it cut.

As in everything though YMMV and everyone is different. Which is the best part. Everyone is different.

I'm mostly "white" (I guess) and I can't eat high glycemic foods at all. You're lucky you figured this out. I see so many women of all colors getting huge on "low-fat" bagels.

Natural One - I know you meant "Asian as the continent", but Asian people live all over the world and still tend to carry their body fat in their bellies. Asian women living on Cheerios and cheeseburgers will still carry their bodyfat in the midsection.

So, it has nothing to do with diet or phytoestrogens, or where they live. It is very unlikely that an African American or a European would begin to carry their body fat in their midsections by eating nothing but Asian food, anymore than an Asian woman would get a big rump and big tits by eating at McDonalds every day.

So, the answer is still "genetics".


Fawn

 

[strongchick]

So, the answer is still "genetics".
Fawn

I guess that "genetics" is why we are all diligently building muscle and doing cardio...to overcome our "genetics".

The problem I have with blaming things on genetics is that it leads most normal thinking people to give up on progressive change...why bother if my genetics are fighting me? In fact, if pro bb'ers listened to genetics as argument, they would always believe that an African American would win Mr. Olympia!

So I _try_ ignore genetic issues in general...however intriguing they may be....simply because I believe self-determinism has improved my quality of life.

I wish that I understood this concept earlier. Then I would have been lifting weights sooner...and I would have not listened to what others had to say about my potential or "tendencies."

Whatever our hair, skin, eyes, etc. looks like...we can all build muscle!

 

[keiko]

Native Americans were tall, thin and lean until they started eating American government-provided commodities. The SW tribes have developed diabetes, which wasn't a big problem before reservations and junk food. You see fat and obese people in the Plains tribes on reservations like Pine Ridge and Rosebud all the time.

I think you really need to split out Asian into very distint groups--Hunan Chinese (from the north) are tall and big, Koreanss tend towards stockiness, The Ainu are stocky and hairy, the Edo are slight and fine featured--see what I mean?

You also need to break out Africans--the Masai are, of course, very tall with elongated limbs, the Bushman have the "bubble butt" so beloved of those who deal in sterotypes, etc.

I think that since most people are so interbred and mixed that it's nearly impossible to discuss physical types based on race. After all Northern Italians are tall, thin and blonde and Sicilians look Arab--yet when people speak of someone looking Italian, they think of an extra from the Godfather.

 

[strongchick]

I think it's funny how proud many of the "Asian" (loosely grouped) people I have met are so proud of their thinness and ability to eat anything and not gain weight.

This attitude has lead me to embrace my size....and enjoy my strength...sort of like "owning" and controlling my body helps me deal with the ridiculous archetypes of media's definition of beauty.

The two tiny Asian women I work with probably snicker at me and my muscles. At 5'8" I tower over them and my build is so enormous in comparison to them that it is humourous and ludicrous when you compare me and my genetic history to theirs and to think that once in my life I tried to diet by not eating to approach this "thin" and petite ideal.

And the whole cultural eating thing...America has thrust upon us these cheap processed foods that are killing all of us slowly. We are living longer because of pharmaceutical and medical progress, but relying more on science to live because we abuse our bodies with bad food.

These same Asian ladies are always offering me food to eat. Funny...since they know I am on a specific eating schedule with specific foods. They criticize me, in that Asian polite way, by pointing out that the granola bar I ate (yes, I cheat sometimes) is much worse than the turkey with swiss and gobs of mayonnaise.

I don't care what race or nationality you are...people will always envy you if you have discipline and will go out of their way to show you that you are wasting your time. Ha ha.

Knowledge is power. I pray for those who lack the ability to research, question, and read. I pity the person I used to be who cared about being thin.

Kinda like the teeny boppers who try to be "different" by getting tattoos and nose rings....my muscles are my badges of hard work that make me different...my muscles show that I will work WITH my genes to be the best I can be...with no signs of "tons of nasty cellulite" or whatever Natural One accuses us American women of.

oops..I'm rambling.

 

[Kiko_W]

The body fat distribution thing is a pain in the butt. Not only does it tend to deposit itself on the lower belly it is very, very stubborn. It is the last spot to go when you drop weight and the first to come back if you put on a few pounds. By the time you get enough diet and cardio to lose it your boobs are only a distant memory- time to get out the training bra. That's why implants are pretty much standard equipment for Asian models these days. Either that or extensive liposuction so they can claim to be "natural".

One of the more interesting theories I've heard is that there is a slight difference in tendon insertion between the races, i.e. where the muscle attaches to the limb. According to the basic principles of leverage this would give people with a low insertion point (farther from the joint) lower speed but higher power and a higher insertion point (closer to the joint) higher speed but less power. Like the gears on a car. The higher speed would also allow faster reciprocation of the limb so would be an advantage in speed and endurance events. Asian women are some of the strongest in the world, last I checked we held the world record in every lift of every weight class in Olympic lifting. This is also backed up by purely anecdotal personal experience, I was able to squat double bodyweight within months of learning how to squat. My grandmother can still go up a flight of stairs with me on her back, I'm only 100lbs but she's 75 years old (she like to do this to show how young and strong she is). By following this theory we can surmise that this difference in tendon insertion might be visible externally. Thus possibly the very low slung, almost flat Asian butt and the much higher, rounded African one (which maintain their respective characteristics even at very low bodyfat levels). By packing on enough lean muscle you can "perk up" an Asian butt but it took me years before I had anything that would be considered round. I don't know if this theory is true or not, and I know a lot of people would scream "racist" at the possible implication that their might be visible differences between the races but it is interesting.

As far as how Asians age I think there are two parts to it. I think the way that we store fat in our faces looks similar to "baby fat" in other races. So a 20 year old Asian might look 16 or so because she still has that rounded face. We also tend to lose the facial fat later so our skin stays reasonable smooth until just before menopause. The other thing is that while second generation younger Asian-Americans tan, few older or Asians in the rest of the world do. My mother gets very angry if I tan. If you have a tan that means you work in the fields or are "low class". Kind of like being a redneck. Here in Taiwan women either wear jackets all summer (at 100 degrees, 90% humidity) or very strong sunblock. Tanning booths are pretty much non existent although there are one or two as the younger generations are starting to become interested. So lack of exposure to sun probably also plays a role in youthful appearance.