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It might be good for us to carry extra weight in our thighs and butt? This is a first!
We've known for a while that having a “pear” body shape is better than having an “apple” – studies have shown that if your body stores its excess fat in the stomach area, you are at a greater risk for heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. But now there seems there may actually be some protective aspects to fat in the butt and thigh area.
In a new study published in the International Journal of Obesity this week, researchers from the University of Oxford in England found that hip and thigh fat might help reduce the incidence of heart disease and diabetes. From a story on MSNBC.com:
“Stomach fat is considered more metabolically active than lower body fat. While that may sound good, as this fat breaks down easily, the result is a release of substances called cytokines, which have been linked to cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and diabetes. In fact, research on mice reported in 2008 revealed that belly fat boosts inflammation and is linked with hardening of the arteries — known to increase the risk of heart attacks.
“But scientists think lower body fat, like that around the hips and thighs, produces beneficial hormones that protect against these diseases, though more research is needed to firm up this expectation.
“In addition, this lower body fat also traps fatty acids. While this long-term storage can make it tricky to slim down your butt and thighs, it's healthier for you if some fat stays put.
"If fatty acids are not stored in fat but are stored in other organs like the liver or the arteries this makes you prone to develop diabetes and heart disease," said lead researcher Konstantinos Manolopoulos.
"It is the protective role of lower body, that is [thigh and backside] fat, that is striking,” the researchers wrote. “The protective properties of the lower body fat depot have been confirmed in many studies conducted in subjects with a wide range of age, BMI and co-morbidities," they wrote.
"If you're going to have fat, you're definitely better off if you've got some fat in the lower body," Dr. Michael Jensen, director of endocrine research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., tells ABC News.
"If you look at people who have primarily the pear shape, they're healthy in all the ways that this fat behaves. It's not just less heart attacks or less diabetes, it's all these ways we think about fat as an important organ for our health."
But it is unclear if the fat in the thighs and backside are better for you than simply being thin, Jensen told ABC.
"If you're a healthy thin weight, you're going to be every bit as healthy as someone who has weight, but has all the weight in the lower body," he said.
But while lower body fat may be healthier than upper body fat, at this point people have little control over where their body chooses to store its fat.
"You can't direct or drive the fat in one part of your body versus another," said Dr. Robert Kushner, a professor of medicine specializing in obesity at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Kushner. "For the average person on the street, it's determined by genetics."
Back to the New Year’s Resolutions, it seems. Pear, anyone?
The MSNBC story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34830500/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/
The ABC News story:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/butt-thigh-fat-make-healthier/story?id=9534982
How Fat Cells Work, from howstuffworks.com:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/fat-cell.htm
The Mayo Clinic on keeping belly fat off:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/belly-fat/WO00128
Add a Comment1 Comments
Great article Diane. Visceral fat (the one on the tummy) is one which we should all focus on losing. All of our vital organs surrounded by fat is a recipe for disaster. Lucky for a lot of us women, most of our fat actually does go to our butt ;-) Men usually have a hard time losing the visceral fat and it makes you wonder if perhaps that has anything to do with women living longer?
January 14, 2010 - 7:05amThis Comment