Tuesday, July 11, 2006

thunder thighs

The more I read the happier I feel about myself. I can now put
that degrading title asunder and count it as a possible life saving
asset. My chubby legs contribute to a healthier heart? I thought
I just heard a slew of ladies rally, and take a bit deep breath.

Women complain about less-than-lithe gams, but new research
suggests that leg fat may actually protect against heart disease.
This might explain why your body fights so hard to hold on to it, no
matter how much you sweat it out on the treadmill. "In the past, we
thought all fat was bad," says Rachael Van Pelt of the University of
Colorado at Denver. But where you store that fat makes all the
difference.

Abdominal fat is linked to heart disease. But what about leg fat? Van
Pelt measured fat levels of 95 women and looked at risk factors for
heart disease, including insulin and triglycerides (a sometimes
dangerous fat). Women with excess leg fat, regardless of belly fat,
had fewer triglycerides in the blood, which may mean they're at
lower risk for heart disease. How does it work? Leg fat may grab
triglycerides from the blood and store them. With more research,
scientists may be able to create drugs that help stomach fat act like
leg fat. RD

1 comment:

Mommy said...

I definitely carry my weight around my middle! =(

I'll have to get working on that.