Its not often we get to write about being heavier as a good thing, but scientists have said that those dreaded tree-trunk thighs may in fact be protecting you from major health problems. The new research discovered that people with thinner-than-average thighs may have a higher chance of developing heart problems or dying early.
The scientists from Copenhagen Univesity said that on average, most people’s thighs have a circumference of 22 inches, or 55 centimetres. People were most at risk if they had a thigh measurement of less than 18 inches, or 46.5 centimetres, while there was no added risk if the thighs were larger than 60 cm. The results held true even when the researchers took into account other risk factors, such as cholesterol levels.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, followed a group of Danish men and women for over 10 years. The participants had their height, weight, hips and waistline measured and the researchers calculated their overall body fat.
They also looked into their exercise levels, whether they smoked, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. During the ten years, the scientists recorded the incidence of heart disease and death. 257 men and 155 women died, 263 men and 140 women developed cardiovascular disease while 103 men and 34 developed heart disease.
The scientists said that those with the smallest thighs had twice as high a risk of developing heart problems. They suggested that this could be due to narrow thighs being associated with too little muscle mass, leading to the body not responding to insulin properly and therefore making Type 2 diabetes more likely, itself associated with heart disease. Low fat levels can also lead to adverse reactions to how the body breaks down food.
Various charities, such as the British Heart Foundation and the National Obesity Forum, have agreed that the research is interesting but that more research needs to be done.