According to a study – yes, somebody went ahead and studied this – women with big behinds are not only ‘healthier’ but they’re ‘smarter’ too.
Rejoice! Kim Ks of this world, you not only have a lower risk of having a heart attack, but you’re also ‘less likely’ to have a stroke and diabetes, a study discovered.
The research, carried out by Oxford University, claims women with big butts have more brains – which is great news following Christmas indulgence, I would imagine.
The study looked at data from more than 16,000 women, and found those with bigger bottoms were not only ‘more resistant to chronic illness’, but were also more intelligent than those with small butts.
Apparently, the women who had a larger bum had lower cholesterol and glucose levels, in addition to higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids.
Not only all that, they were found to have a higher amount of a hormone called dinopectina. This hormone has anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Lead researcher Dr. Konstantinos Manolopoulous said:
The idea that body fat distribution is important to health has been known for some time. However, it is only very recently that thigh fat and a large hip circumference have been shown to promote health; that lower body fat is protective by itself.
The higher levels of Omega 3 found in the bigger-bottomed ladies helps develop a healthy, working brain and the amount of adipose tissue found meant any harmful fats were trapped, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
All the benefits!
This study was also backed up by more research published in the journal of Cell Metabolism, it found fat carried in the lower half of female bodies acts as a sponge which stops fat travelling into the internal organs.
The 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 in women who are already overweight, as fat levels in their hearts and lungs were documented as high due to pre-existing health conditions.
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.
The 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.
But just remember, women come in all shapes and sizes.
