Hip Check

Carrying extra weight in your belly increases your risk of heart disease and cancer, but packing it in your hips may be a different kind of health trap. A study of nearly 9,000 overweight women found that those who were pear-shaped performed worse on memory tests than their apple-shaped counterparts.

Subcutaneous fat, the type that accumulates in the hips, produces high levels of hormones that may affect the brain.

Body shape is genetic, but keeping the pounds at bay can help. The study found no relationship between waist size and brainpower among healthy-weight women.