In the interest of greater populous health, however, this obsession with the infirm may be on the outs. Curves may be coming back.
A recent study Harvard study by professor C. Ronald Kahn has uncovered groundbreaking new information concerning the subcutaneous fat stored in the thighs and buttocks.
Kahn found that mice, injected in high diabetes risk regions, mainly abdomen fatty deposits, with butt fat, showed ‘lower insulin levels, and had better insulin sensitivity,’ said Kahn according to a Harvard Crimson interview. ‘Moving fat under the skin and hips ‘hellip; actually improved metabolism.’
The relationship is not yet fully understood, but so far the data seems to show that this lower body fat could be good for you.
Kahn is now trying ‘to show if transplanting fat would actually protect you against diabetes or bad effects of obesity even if you’re on a high-fat diet,’ he said.
He thinks that having a ‘pear-shaped’ body might benefit health. Yet, even with this newfound health information, students at the
When asked whether she would gain lower body weight for her health, sophomore English major Amy Rafferty replied that though ‘curves are good, I ‘hellip; wouldn’t purposefully make my butt fat. I feel like there has to be other ways.’
Other students had similar reactions. Rebecca Reddish, a sophomore anthropology major, said it would be ‘so much easier’ if curves came back, but if asked to gain weight, would probably ‘only go halfsies.’
Pre-dental major Ashley Walter, a sophomore who said she likes that her ‘boyfriend has a big [butt],’ would only gain the weight if ‘it looked healthy, like athletic.’
Though none of the girls questioned were at high risk for diabetes, Reddish pointed out how her her reaction is probably different than, say, a person with diabetes.
Sophomore Dante DeMaio, a Isenberg School of Management major, said he has had diabetes since March, 2005. He said he has expressed interest in taking part in high risk experiments that might cure his diabetes, even if death is a risk.
But when asked whether or not he would assume noticeable curves for the sake of a cure, DeMaio replied ‘Honestly, no ‘hellip; maybe if I was retired and an old grandpa, and it looked like there would never be another cure, then I would do it, but not right now.’
He and some other diabetics have set their eyes on stem cell research’s horizon.
‘With [President Barack] Obama’s promotion of stem cell research, I wouldn’t want big [buttocks],’ he said. ‘They’re so close.’
Though it may be a health benefit, it seems many at UMass are resistant to pear-shaped bodies.
‘It’s very hard for people to control their fat distribution,’ Phillip Gorden, the once director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, said. ‘What they can control is the quantity of fat.’
Zachary Fischer can be reached at [email protected].
