Study Finds Big Butts are Healthy

Image via: bodyofwealth.com

Do you worry about having a big butt or those unsightly “thunder thighs”? Researchers state that having a little extra weight in the butt and hips may protect you against type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that subcutaneous fat, which is fat found just beneath the skin, actually aided in improving sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar.

Researchers injected the abdomens of mice with subcutaneous fat and found that the mice lost weight and their fat cells also shrank. No changes had been made to their diet or activity levels.

“It was a surprising result,” said Ronald Kahn of Harvard Medical School in Boston. “We actually found it had a beneficial effect, and it was especially true when you put it inside the abdomen.”

The study was started to find out why fat located in different parts of the body tend to have varying health effects. This study showed them that subcutaneous fat may actually be protecting people from metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

Researchers hope that they can do more research and possibly one day create a drug that has this same effect.

“I think it's an important result because not only does it say that not all fat is bad, but I think it points to a special aspect of fat where we need to do more research,” Kahn said.

So the next time you're wondering if those jeans make your butt look big, just remember that your massive caboose may be saving your life.

This study was published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

Sources:  telegraph