It’s not often that you hear women saying they like having a big backside. In fact, curvy bottoms, wide hips and generous thighs are the bane of many women’s lives. But now there’s good news – it appears that being naturally pear-shaped may actually be good for you.
The next time you ask, “Does my bum look big in this?” you should be glad if the answer’s yes. That’s because scientists now reckon having a big bottom is good for your health. Like cholesterol, there is body fat that’s good for you and body fat that’s bad – the sort that piles on around your hips and thighs is the good stuff. Having a curvaceous rear could mean you’re less likely to develop heart disease and diabetes.
Researchers at oxford University in the UK came to this conclusion after reviewing studies into how the fat stored in your body affects your health. Doctors have known for some time that fat stored around the abdomen is particularly bad for you and now they believe that fat around your backside is not only better for you than abdominal fat, but may actually protect against some serious illnesses. That means bootylicious celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé should be hailed as healthy role models.
WHY IS IT HEALTHIER To HAVE A BIG BUo?
The fat you store around your backside, thighs and hips is called gluteofemoral fat. According to the oxford University research, this type of fat takes longer to build up and is harder to break down than the kind of upper body fat that is stored around the stomach. If you’ve ever gained weight, you’ll know that spare tyre around your abdomen can appear pretty quickly.
But while it goes on faster than the fat around your derrière, it also comes off more quickly because, when you need energy, your body gets it first from the fat stores in your abdomen. When these fat cells are broken down, they release substances called cytokines, which can cause inflammation in your body. Cytokines have been linked to heart disease and diabetes. Fewer cytokines are released when gluteofemoral fat is broken down, so there’s less risk of these conditions.
Meanwhile, fatty acids, which are used for energy, are stored in your abdomen as well as your thighs and hips. The abdomen easily releases these fatty acids if it thinks you need them for energy, and too many of them floating around your body can cause damage and disease.However your lower body holds on to fatty acids – effectively trapping them – in case they’re needed in the future. This is better for your body, the researchers believe. In fact, holding on to fatty acid in your thighs and hips can help protect against illnesses like heart disease and provides health benefits such as lower cholesterol levels and healthier blood sugar levels
WHY IS A TUBBY TUooY BAD FoR YoU?
The fat cells stored around your abdomen aren’t just sitting there doing nothing. These particular cells produce hormones that affect your health. For example, some hormones from abdominal fat cells can lead to insulin resistance, which increases the likelihood of getting Type 2 diabetes. Excess belly fat also increases your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, breast cancer, metabolic syndrome, gall bladder problems, high blood pressure and colorectal cancer.
Some women tend to be shaped like an apple rather than a pear. They naturally have thicker waists and narrower hips. other women notice that the parts of their body that gain the most weight change after menopause. Changes in hormone levels mean that fat tends to be deposited around the middle rather than the backside and thighs.
HoW Do YoU KNoW IF YoUR FAT IS GooD?
Too much fat is always going to be bad for you. For women, 20% to 25% body fat is considered healthy. oany overweight or obese women have 30% or 40% body fat. To find out how much body fat you have, try using scales that work out body fat. If you have unhealthy levels of body fat, the first thing you should be doing is aiming to decrease it. The best way to do this is by eating fewer calories and doing more exercise. Weight-loss should be gradual – if you’re losing more than 1kg a week, chances are you’re losing water and muscle rather than fat.
If you are storing excess fat, a quick look in the mirror will reveal where most of it tends to accumulate. But another way of working out whether you’re carrying fat that could be particularly dangerous is to compare your waist-to-hip ratio. To do this, measure around your hips at the widest part of your bottom, then measure your waist at its narrowest part, usually just above your belly button. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement – this figure is your waist-to-hip ratio. If your ratio is over 0.85, it’s considered to be risky (for men it’s over 1.0). This high ratio means you have a greater risk of getting heart disease and diabetes and should try to lose that abdominal weight.
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