We all love the idea of women being smarter and healthier because of their big butts. Unfortunately, the source study on this claim has been both exaggerated and misunderstood.
Women With Big Bums Are NOT Smarter Than Those With Small Bums
The false claim suggests that according to a 2010 study by Oxford University, women with big butts are smarter and healthier than those with smaller ones. What the study actually suggests is that gluteofemoral fat is healthier than visceral fat. Gluteofemeral fat is body fat on the backside and thighs. This fat is on the outside of the skeletal muscle system and safer to have than high amounts of visceral fat. (4) This is the type of fat that is easier to see and most targeted by exercise and dieting. (2) Visceral fat is the type of fat that is stored around organs such as the liver, stomach, and intestines. While having some of this type of fat is necessary for healthy living, having too much can cause health problems. (1)
Health Risks from Visceral Fat
- Heart Disease
- Breast Cancer
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Colorectal Cancer
- Alzheimer’s Disease
Do I have too much Visceral Fat?
Visceral fat is most commonly found by measuring your hip to waist ratio. For men, this ratio should be below 1 and for women, this number should be below 0.85. Other ways to assess visceral fat is to work with a medical professional and receive a CT scan to determine healthy fat levels. So how do you measure your hip to waist ratio? Using a measuring tape measure your waist near the belly button and divide that number by your hip measurement. (3)
How to Measure Body Fat
Body fat is measured using some home scales, by a medical professional, or even at your local gym. These tests are designed to measure the fat located under your skin and compare it to your total body weight. Once you find out what percentage of your body should be fat you can see if you fall inside of a healthy range.
Body Fat Percentages
- Top athletes: 15 to 20%
- Fit women: 21 to 24%
- Healthy/acceptable: 25 to 32%
- Overweight: 33% plus
Having a body fat percentage over 33% or under 15% can be damaging to your health. We recommend that you work with a health expert to get your body fat percentage back into a healthy range. (5)
Setting the Record Straight
Just because a person has gluteofemeral fat doesn’t mean they are healthier or smarter. This also doesn’t mean that they don’t have visceral fat. Keeping both types of fat within a healthy range is ideal to help keep you healthy.
Keep in mind that there are many different body types. Finding out what a healthy body means for yourself as an individual is important. There is no one size fits all diet, exercise plan, or routine when it comes to physical fitness. Beware of get fit quick schemes that seem too good to be true, because they probably are.
Healthy ways to lose fat
Focusing on what we put in our bodies can make a big difference in how much fat our bodies store. Eating larger portions of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats can help. Reducing carbs and sugars can also help the body have what it needs without encouraging it to store fat.
Whether you are focusing on cardio, strength training, or a mix of both you will find that exercise has more benefits than simply reducing fat. Physical activity can reduce stress according to a study done by the American Psychological Association. (6)
