Healthy living
Body matters
Big bottoms – not all bad
Why your derriere may help protect you from type 2 diabetes
If you are having trouble shifting that extra flab on your bottom don’t get too downhearted. Scientists from the US have found that not all fat is bad and fat from certain areas like your bottom can actually help protect you against developing type-2 diabetes.
The study published in the journal Cell Metabolism found that subcutaneous fat – the fat found under the skin usually on the bottom, hips and thighs - was associated with improved insulin sensitivity and therefore a lower risk of diabetes.
This may appear to fly in the face of previous research that has linked obesity with an increased risk of diabetes. It now seems that the type of fat you are carrying is what makes the difference.
People with the classic ‘beer belly’ shape who carry lots of visceral fat deep inside their tummy are more prone to getting diabetes and other health problems like heart disease and stroke. However ‘pear shaped’ folk, with bigger bottoms and thighs, may in fact be less at risk.
The team from Harvard Medical School used mouse models to test the differences between the types of fat. They found that when subcutaneous fat was moved into the abdominal area, there was a decrease in body weight, fat mass, blood sugar levels and an improvement in insulin sensitivity. In contrast moving visceral fat to different parts of the body had no effect.
‘The surprising thing was that it wasn’t where the fat was located, it was the kind of fat that was the most important variable,’ said study leader, C. Ronald Kahn, ‘Even more surprising, it wasn’t that abdominal fat was exerting negative effects, but that subcutaneous fat was producing a good effect. Animals with more subcutaneous fat didn’t gain as much weight as they aged, had better insulin sensitivity, lower insulin levels and were improved all around.’
The team conclude that the subcutaneous fat may produce substances that improve the way the body metabolises glucose. People develop type-2 diabetes because they are unable to control their glucose levels. The scientists hope that if they can pin point the beneficial compounds released by the fat they may be able to create drugs that can protect people from developing the disease.
‘This is interesting research,’ said Maria Lam, spokesperson at the charity Diabetes UK, ‘however it is very early days and trials have only been done in mice. Much more research is needed before we can concretely conclude what effect subcutaneous fat plays in increasing insulin sensitivity.’
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.