Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Health and Fitness

    Big bottoms are good for you

    Scientists claim a generous rear is good for you as bottom fat raises the healthy cholesterol in your body

    By Hannah Thomas
    Published 7 February 2012 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Woman's bottom
    Woman's bottom
    (Image credit: REX)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Scientists claim a generous rear is good for you as bottom fat raises the healthy cholesterol in your body

    Love your big bottom because it is good for you, according to scientists from Oxford University who say bottom fat helps protect against hardening arteries.

    The scientists found that storing fat in your bum, rather than around your tummy, cuts the levels of bad LDL cholesterol and raises the good HDL cholesterol, preventing health problems.

    The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, suggests an ample derriere could even cut your risk of developing diabetes.

    'Fat comes in good and bad forms,' says Professor Jimmy Bell, head of metabolic and molecular imaging at Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust.

    You may like
    • Zara Larsson Zara Larsson’s Body-Image Philosophy Feels Refreshingly Different in the Age of Self-Optimisation
    • A bowl of supplements How the New Ozempic Add-On Pill Has Sparked a Fascinating Conversation About Muscle Loss, Menopause, and Longevity
    • Emily English, aka Em The Nutritionist, cooking and with a plate of gut-health friendly food Em The Nutritionist: "You Can't Optimise Your Way Out of Chronic Stress or Exhaustion With a Spoonful of Fermented Vegetables"

    'Gluteofemoral fat stored around the bottom seems to act as a buffer, mopping up inflammatory fats that could have a dangerous affect elsewhere.'

    Professor Bell explains that because fat around your bottom breaks down more slowly than belly fat, it produces fewer inflammatory cytokines, which are chemicals linked to diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    'Burning off too much of this healthier form of fat isn't good for you,' he says.

    MORE HEALTH NEWS

    Hannah Thomas
    Social Links Navigation
    Read more
    Zara Larsson
    Fitness Zara Larsson’s Body-Image Philosophy Feels Refreshingly Different in the Age of Self-Optimisation
    A bowl of supplements
    Nutrition How the New Ozempic Add-On Pill Has Sparked a Fascinating Conversation About Muscle Loss, Menopause, and Longevity
     
     
    Emily English, aka Em The Nutritionist, cooking and with a plate of gut-health friendly food
    Nutrition Em The Nutritionist: "You Can't Optimise Your Way Out of Chronic Stress or Exhaustion With a Spoonful of Fermented Vegetables"
    End of filler Jessica Wang wears a silver and gold pendant earrings, a pale green t-shirt, a dark green midi skirt, a blue fluffy oversized long coat,
    Skincare Is This the End of Filler? Welcome to the Age of Regenerative Aesthetics
     
     
    Latest in Health and Fitness
    Women walking and running; through a city and on a beach.
    Fitness Run Free, Stay Safe: The Impossible Double Standard Facing Women Who Run
    A woman trying to beat the winter blues; at home, in her study, and out and about
    Wellbeing I Spent a Month Trying to Beat the Winter Blues—These Were the Only Things That Actually Made a Difference
     
     
    Health Writer Ellie-Mae Hammond trying a simple breathwork technique for relaxation
    Wellbeing This Breathing Trick Calms Your Nervous System in Just 60 Seconds—Trust Me, I’ve Tried It
    A woman lying on a sofa tired
    Female health Feeling Exhausted? The Low-Iron Signs Women Often Miss—and the Tests to Ask For
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big standing outdoors in Sex and the City, a show that influenced what women expect from men in romantic relationships.
    Relationships “I Expected Men to Be Financial Providers, But Not Emotionally Safe”—What We Ask From Male Partners Has Changed, But Is It For Better or Worse?
    What Lily Loves
    Shopping These Black Leggings Are My Secret to Easy Autumn Style Plus the Celine Loafers I’ll Never Regret Buying
     
     
    Abstract woman portrait in glitch style - stock photo
    Relationships His Girlfriend Died. Eight Years Later, An AI Version Of Her Replied
    Best Treatments for Eye Wrinkles, Dark Circles and Hooded Eyes
    Skincare From Dark Circles to Drooping Lids—An Expert Guide to What Really Works for Every Eye Concern
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.