January 20, 2010 – The fat that accumulates at the bottom of the belt – on the buttocks, hips and thighs – is said to have beneficial effects on health. It would provide protection against cardiovascular disease and diabetes, believes a team of researchers from Oxford University, who has scoured the scientific literature on the subject.1.
This is because the fat that accumulates around the hips helps trap harmful fatty acids circulating in the blood. It therefore stabilizes them. The fat around the hips also releases a hormone called “adiponectin”, which has been documented to have a protective effect on the arteries.
People who have a belly are not so lucky. Because the fat that accumulates in the abdomen is much more mobile. Molecules in abdominal fat break down easily and can travel to arteries, for example. That’s not all. Abdominal fat tends to release cytokines: molecules that cause inflammation and increase the risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
“Several studies had already shown that having a pear shape is more advantageous than having an apple shape,” explains Konstantinos Manolopoulos, a member of the British team. We are finally starting to understand why. “
The researcher calls for caution. “We especially do not want to encourage people to gain excess weight. A 60 cm thigh circumference – measured just below the buttocks – is enough to provide protection. Beyond this threshold, there are no increased beneficial effects. On the other hand, the more fat we accumulate around the belly, the more we increase our health risks. And one rarely goes without the other. “
Dominique Forget – PasseportSanté.net
1. Manolopoulos KN, Karpe F, Frayn KN, Gluteofemoral body fat as a determinant of metabolic health, Int J Obes (Lond). 2010 Jan 12.
