Big Butts For Diabetes

You’ve got to love this headline from the Times of India: “Big Bottom Can Cut Diabetes Risk.” Yes, you read that right. And the lede is almost as satisfying: “Here’s some good news for women who find it hard to squeeze into their skinny jeans, courtesy their big bottoms: a generously proportioned derriere could be good for health, say scientists.”

What are they talking about? Well, apparently subcutaneous fat helps increase your sensitivity to insulin. As the article explains, “insulin is responsible for regulating blood sugar and therefore a big bottom might offer some protection against diabetes.”

I’m not exactly sure how this jives with the fact that being overweight contributes to your Type 2 diabetes risk, or why, exactly, bottom fat would be different (insulin-wise) than belly fat. Are we going against apple-shaped bodies because of the increased heart disease risk associated with that kind of fat accumulation? Or is something else going on in pear-shaped derrieres?

Regardless, at least it’ll give you an excuse to look on your bottom with some newfound appreciation.

Catherine Price

Catherine Price (www.catherine-price.com) was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 22 years old. She has written for publications including The Best American Science Catherine Price is a professional journalist who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 22 years old. Her work has been featured in publications including The Best American Science Writing, The New York Times, Popular Science, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post Magazine, Salon, Slate, Men’s Journal, Health Magazine, The Oprah Magazine, and Outside, among others. A graduate of Yale and UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism

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Catherine Price

Catherine Price was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 22 years old. She has written for publications including The Best American Science Catherine Price is a professional journalist who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 22 years old. Her work has been featured in publications including The Best American Science Writing, The New York Times, Popular Science, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post Magazine, Salon, Slate, Men’s Journal, Health Magazine, The Oprah Magazine, and Outside, among others. A graduate of Yale and UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism