A woman's body shape is inherited from her parents, scientists have discovered

Whether a woman is an "apple" or a "pear" is determined by a range of genetic factors, according to researchers at Oxford University and the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge. They have identified 13 new sets of genes associated with a propensity to store fat either around one's abdomen or one's hips and thighs. The genes lead to differences in body shape in both sexes, but seven of them led to a greater expression of either shape in women than in men.