Doctors Say Curves Are In – If They’re In the Right Places

Of course we can’t expect fat of all kinds, amounts and shapes to suddenly become both healthy and fashionable. News that is ‘too good to be true’ typically is. Medical research, however, suggests that fat around the hips, thighs and buttocks may work advantageously against heart and metabolic diseases.

Hip fat burns at a slower rate than tummy fat, a distinction that, for the body, means the release of fewer cytokines associated with health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Additionally, hip fat absorbs harmful fatty acids and produces anti-inflammatory agents and adiponectin, the fat-derived hormone that assists in moderating metabolic functions and suppresses the development of diseases such as type-2 diabetes and obesity.

When we carry lots of fat around the tummy we put ourselves at a higher risk for both diabetes and heart disease. Also known as visceral fat, this dangerous fat lies closer to vital organs, whereas subcutaneous fat is situated closer to the skin and is more visually accessible. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are the culprit here, a protein that accelerates inflammation. As Dr. Rallie McAllister explains, “pear-shaped individuals tend to have more subcutaneous fat, people who are apple-shaped tend to have more visceral fat.” In other words, it’s better to be a Jennifer Lopez than a Rosie O’Donnell.

Yet another advantage of the healthier, hip fat is that it more stubbornly resists modification compared to tummy fat, and, therefore, releases fewer cytokines. No longer an aesthetic enemy, hip fat indicates health, and as we all know – health is beauty.

The trick, then, is to keep the waist trim while maintaining the full shape of the thighs, buttock and hips. This might be a challenge for science, a task that has already caught the attention of researchers at Oxford University who believe that we may in the future be able to redistribute body fat to the hips in order to benefit from the purported health benefits.

Related Link

• BBC: Having a big bum, hips and thighs is ‘healthy’