All together now: “I like big butts and I cannot lie…” The catchy masterwork of a slightly pervy rap artist, or the prophetic advice of a health guru 20 years before his time?
Okay, probably the great Sir Mix-A-Lot was just a dirty sod, but he has been proved right about one thing – we should like big butts, because according to scientists, fat around the bottom and thighs could protect women against conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
Last week we heard that fat around the waist was especially dangerous, an early warning sign of dangerously high cholesterol, but is seems that just as there are good and bad cholesterols, there are also good and bad fats which are generally found in specific areas of the body.
Dr Konstantinos Manopoulos, from the team at Oxford who carried out a review of research into lower-body fat, said that the cells in lower body fat work differently to upper body fat.
Cells in fats deposits around the bottom, known as gluteofemoral fat, reduce the effect of a dangerous protein, which can cause inflammation and disease. The Oxford scientists called for more research to be done into body fat distribution, calling it a ‘major determinant of metabolic health.’
As most women have at some point screeched the age-old cry of ‘Does my bum look big in this?’, they also suggested that their research meant that stars like the generously-padded Beyonce and curvaceous J-Lo were good role models for women, as they make large bottoms seem desirable.
In honour of this research and of a bottom visionary, we suggest you take a look at Sir Mix-A-Lot’s brilliant video and perhaps have a little bottom-celebrating dance. For as he so wisely said, “Shake it. Shake it. Shake dat healthy butt - baby got back.”