Chances are you already know if you're an apple or a pear. If you tend to gain weight in your belly and back, you're an apple. If your thighs and derriere are the canvas on which your snack food sins are written, then you're a pear. But what does it matter? Gut or butt, too much is too much, right? Wrong!

Whether you are an apple-shaped or pear-shaped woman determines far more than whether you select a swimsuit with a waist-whittling pattern or a thigh-hiding skirt. According to medical pioneer Marie Savard, M.D., your body shape is the single most powerful predictor of future health. It is connected to differences in your physical chemistry, hormone production, and metabo-lism and directly affects your likelihood for obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, stroke, varicose veins, and certain cancers.

Your body shape may be putting your health in danger through no fault of your own. But there is good news: There are things you can do to prevent or even reverse the risks of body shape. Body Shape Solution to Weight Loss and Wellness offers women of all shapes and sizes specific nutritional and exercise recommendations based on body type. So much more than just another diet book, Body Shape Solution to Weight Loss and Wellness teaches you exactly what you need to do to sidestep the physical and emotional pitfalls of body shape in order to live longer, lose weight, and feel healthier.