For years, Beyonce and J.Lo have touted the beauty of a full backside, and recent research from Oxford University suggests they might actually be healthier as a result.
Dr. Konstantinos Manolopoulos asserts that fat distributed in the buttocks and thighs - collectively called gluteofemoral fat - can help decrease the risk of heart disease in a study published in the International Journal of Obesity.
The study shows that fat in this region can reduce levels of low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol), raise levels of high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol), reduce blood glucose levels, reduce the risk of developing diabetes and increase leptin levels. Leptin is a hormone that regulates energy intake and output, and increased amounts can lead to less distribution of cholesterol in the arteries and decreased arterial hardening.
In other words, gluteofemoral fat can protect your heart and decrease the chance that you will have a heart attack because it is slower to burn off and shift.
Additionally, researchers have hypothesized that fat in the thigh and buttock region can help mitigate the effect of harmful proteins called cytokines that can lead to inflammation and illness. Songs that glorify women with junk in the trunk, such as Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious" or Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls," are justified - at least, more so than those that hail beer guts, like Trailer Choir's "Rockin' the Beer Gut."
That being said, even though fat in the gluteofemoral region is healthier than fat in the midsection, it has not been demonstrated that being 'bootylicious' is healthier than not having extra pounds at all. Therefore, one should not set out to binge in the hopes of acquiring fat deposits on the derri
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