Guest guest Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/fat-bum-and-thighs-is-good-for-you/story-e6frf00i-1225818515498CARRYING extra weight on your hips, bum and thighs is good for your health, protecting against heart and metabolic problems, the BBC reported, following a new study. Hip fat mops up harmful fatty acids and contains an anti-inflammatory agent that stops arteries clogging, the British experts behind the research said. Big behinds are preferable to extra fat around the waistline, which gives no such protection, the Oxford study team said in a report published in the International Journal of Obesity.And in the future, doctors might prescribe ways to redistribute body fat to the hips to protect against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as diabetes. Evidence shows that fat around the thighs and backside - which leads to a figure commonly described as being "pear shaped" - is harder to shift than fat around the waist.Although this may sound undesirable, it is actually beneficial because when fat is broken down quickly it releases a lot of cytokines which trigger inflammation in the body, say experts. These cytokines have been linked to cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and diabetes.The slower burning hip fat also makes more of the hormone adiponectin that protects the arteries and promotes better blood sugar control and fat burning. In comparison, carrying excess fat around the stomach, known as being "apple shaped", raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Lead researcher Dr Konstantinos Manolopoulos, of Oxford University, said: "It is shape that matters and where the fat gathers. "Fat around the hips and thighs is good for you but around the tummy is bad." He said in an ideal world, the more fat around the thighs the better - as long as the tummy stays slim. "Unfortunately, you tend not to get one without the other," he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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