Putting It All Behind

In a new report conducted by the University of Oxford in England, stored fat cells around the thigh and buttock area may actually be medically beneficial.

“This new article summarizes a body of research showing that such hip and thigh fat can help to reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease, said lead researcher Konstantinos Manolopoulos. “The review also suggests a mechanism for conveying those benefits.”

According to Manolopoulos and his colleagues in the latest issue of the International Journal of Obesity, although stomach fat is considered more metabolically active than lower body fat, it releases a substance called cytokines, which has been linked to cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and diabetes. Scientists now think lower body fat, like that around the hips and thighs, produces beneficial hormones that protect against these diseases, although it is yet to be fully determined.

Evidence of this theory includes Cushings syndrome, in which a patient looses their hip and thigh fat while gaining stomach fat. These patients usually have an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

“As long as you are female and your hormones are female hormones you are protected from cardiovascular disease,” Manolopoulos said. “The moment you go into menopause and your hormones change, you lose your typical female appearance and you gain stomach fat and at the same time your risk for heart disease and diabetes becomes comparable to men of the same age.”