(From the root.com)
Baby got back! Good news not only for J. Lo and Sir Mix-a-Lot fans. According to a new study, having some junk in your trunk can be healthy. Research at the University of Oxford and Churchill Hospital shows that the assumption that leaner is always better may be literally ass backward. In the past, medical experts believed that the healthiest people were those with overall low body fat compared to those with too much butt fat or belly fat. But when a team studied the health effects of fat distribution, they found that having a predominance of body fat in the thighs and backside, known as gluteofemoral fat, has significant health benefits.
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Gluteofemoral fat is measured by thigh circumference, hip circumference and fat deposits on the legs. This type of lower-body fat storage takes more time to accumulate and is harder to break down than upper-body fat. The report says that the protective effects of lower-body fat distribution, which is typical of a pear-shaped body type, has been confirmed across the board and in people with a wide range of age, weight and health status. The researchers are still working out exactly how and why the benefits exist, but it appears that lower-body fat secretes a compound that mops up fatty acids and traps harmful fatty particles. The study went even further to assert that this type of fat is “protective” against diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with obesity.
