Editor’s note: Some changes have been made for clarification
It used to be that the ideal woman possessed beauty and brains. Now we can add big butt to the list. A review out of Oxford University’s Churchill Hospital found that women with a pronounced posterior are healthier and smarter.
Researchers discovered that excess adipose tissue in the lower region of the body, specifically the thighs and butt area, acts as a barrier against heart disease, diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses.
“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,” the researchers wrote in the International Journal of Obesity.
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In addition, the review also suggests a larger butt is indicative of a significant storage of Omega 3 fats and favourable leptin levels. Omega 3 fats are credited with boosting brain function, memory, and cognitive abilities like motor and language skills, while leptin is a hormone that regulates appetite.
This same review suggests that children born to corpulent mothers with wide hips are more intelligent than those born to their less shapely counterparts. Because there is evidence that the fat content in breast milk is derived from the lower half of a woman’s body, logic dictates that those with more fat deposits that store higher levels of Omega 3 have fatty acid-enriched milk that is being fed to their children.
For a long time, doctors have proclaimed that a “pear-shaped” physique is more desirable from a health perspective than being “an apple.”
Those with the latter, a term used to describe those who carry excess weight in their midsection, run a higher risk of death.
In research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, regardless of BMI (body mass index), both men and women whose fat is distributed in the lower half of their bodies are less likely to die of any cause, particularly of cardiovascular cause, than those who are apple-shaped.
So, go ahead and like your big butt.
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