Our bodies are conditioned to store fat, in case we have to live through a famine. The fat that is stored in our abdomens, surrounding our organs, is called visceral fat. Because visceral fat can lead to heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes, it is much more dangerous than the fat stored beneath our skin, on our hips and limbs. That is why doctors pay attention to your waist-to-hip ration. Apple-shaped people, whose waists are larger than their hip, are prone to more health complications than pear-shaped people.