Well-covered bum and big hips 'good for health'
LONDON — Having a well-covered behind, big hips and solid thighs "is good for you", experts said on Tuesday in a new finding likely to delight women the world over.
Carrying fat on the hips, thighs and bum, rather than around the waist, has a range of health benefits and actively protects against diabetes and heart disease, researchers at Oxford University said.
"Fat around the hips and thighs is good for you but around the tummy is bad," said Dr Konstantinos Manolopoulos, one of three scientists behind the research which has been published in the International Journal of Obesity.
A big bottom is much better than carrying fat around the waist, which tends to release more harmful fatty acids into the body, the research shows.
Belly fat also releases molecules called cytokines which trigger inflammation - raising the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
But fat carried on the thighs traps these harmful fatty acids and stops them from latching on to the liver and muscles and causing range of health problems, including insulin resistance.
Although fat around the thighs and backside tends to burn slower and be harder to shift, it can release beneficial hormones which protect the arteries and help blood sugar control, the research showed.
"The idea that body fat distribution is important to health has been known for some time," said Manolopoulos, who is a researcher at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM).
"However is it only very recently that thigh fat and a larger hip circumference have been shown to promote health, that lower body fat is protective by itself."
It is shape that matters - and as far as health is concerned, being 'pear-shaped' is much preferable to being 'apple-shaped'.
In an ideal world, the more fat around the thighs the better - as long as the tummy stays slim, Manolopoulos said.
"Unfortunately, you tend not to get one without the other," he said.
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A new study conducted by researchers at Oxford University has concluded that women with fat around their bum, hips and thighs will have a reduced risk from various ailments.

The Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism's Dr. Konstantinos Manolopoulos said that "Fat around the hips and thighs is good for you but around the tummy is bad," although he cautioned that "Unfortunately, you tend not to get one without the other."  He worked with two other scientists to produce the paper, which was published in the International Journal of Obesity.

Fat around the waist has a tendency to release fatty acids, which are toxic. However, that found on curvy bums, thighs and hips actually traps fatty acids, as well as being associated with a reduced risk of diabetes and heart conditions. It releases hormones that help control blood sugar levels and keep arteries in good condition by preventing blockages with an anti-inflammatory. 

Belly fat releases inflammatory substances called cytokines and it is these that are trapped by the fat on curvy hips, bottoms and thighs. Cytokines also latch upon muscles and the liver, and can cause resistance to insulin, an important chemical. A lack of fat in the areas identified can also lead to metabolic chaos such as that which occurs in Cushing's syndrome.

"The idea that body fat distribution is important to health has been known for some time," explained Manolopoulos "However is it only very recently that thigh fat and a larger hip circumference have been shown to promote health, that lower body fat is protective by itself." He stated that future research might even seek ways to ensure people have a healthy layer of fatty curves and that further study may be required to better understand the health effects.