A new study out of Oxford University in England found women with "pear-shaped" figures -- ample extra padding around the hips, buttocks and thighs -- are actually at a lower risk for heart and metabolic diseases.
"It is shape that matters and where the fat gathers," said Oxford's Dr. Konstantinos Manolopoulos, explaining that fat stored on the hips and in the rear absorb harmful fatty acids and further prevent arteries from clogging.
"Fat around the hips and thighs is good for you, but around the tummy is bad," he told BBC News, noting that the proverbial "spare tire" around the belly leads to higher incidences of heart disease.
The findings help explain why women traditionally have lower rates of heart disease then men until they reach menopause, when their rates rise as they begin to gather fat around their midsections (and more likely to already have diabetes and eventually develop heart disease instead).
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