Research
Hormonal
Sex steroids (estrogen and testosterone) are the primary drivers of sex differences in fat distribution, with estrogen promoting peripheral storage and testosterone promoting central storage.
Your hormones play a huge role in where your body stores fat. Estrogen tends to store fat in the hips and thighs, while testosterone stores it in the abdomen. Hormonal changes like menopause or testosterone therapy can significantly shift your fat distribution.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Fat distribution is modulated by sex steroids... Menopause is followed by redistribution of adipose tissue towards a more central/android phenotype... presumably due to the fall in estrogen levels.
Why this rating
Strong evidence from clinical observations of puberty, menopause, PCOS, and transgender hormone therapy.
Source
Sex differences in human adipose tissues – the biology of pear shape
Kalypso Karastergiou et al. · Biology of Sex Differences · 2012
DOI 10.1186/2042-6410-3-13
narrative_reviewCited 1,096×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Women exhibit a 'pear-shaped' peripheral fat distribution (gluteal-femoral) that confers protection against metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis, independent of total body fat levels.Good
- Gluteal-femoral subcutaneous adipose tissue in women acts as a safe lipid reservoir and actively regulates systemic metabolism, contributing to improved insulin sensitivity and lipid profiles compared to visceral fat.Good
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