Posted by Kim Kardashian West on Sunday, 21 August 2016
Turns out there’s more to having big derrière than impersonating Kim Kardashian, winning Miss Bum Bum 2017 or earning Sir Mix-a-Lot’s affections.
Women who have more fat in their hips and thighs are at a lower risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, a new study has discovered.
The study, published in the journal of Cell Metabolism, found fat carried in the lower half of female bodies acts as a sponge which stops fat travelling into the internal organs.
GettyThe evidence applied to both men and women, however, scientists found that the protective properties of hip and thigh fat is more prominent in pre-menopausal women, who naturally store more fat in the lower halves of their bodies than men.
This protective quality is less noteworthy is women who are already overweight, as fat levels in their hearts and lungs were documented as high due to the pre-existing health condition.
Using MRI scans and regular health checks which monitored fat distribution the lead authors of the study, Dr Norbert Stefan, found hips and thighs “offer safe storage” for fat cells.
GettyThe pear shape is apparently more favourable than the apple shape – where weight is distributed largely around the stomach – when it comes to female health.
Known as subcutaneous fat, the extra weight on our hips and thighs differs vastly from that which settles in our abdomen, known as visceral fat.
The latter releases harmful chemicals and fatty acids that severely inhibit women’s cardiovascular health through high cholesterol, insulin resistance and diabetes.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.