Give Now  »

Noon Edition

Why Is The Lower Half Of Your Body A Better Place To Gain Weight?

For many people, gaining weight as they age is an unfortunate, but unavoidable, fact of life. Some people gain it in the belly area, some pack on the pounds lower down, in the thighs.

Now, not gaining weight at all is probably the best option. But if you had to choose where your extra pounds would go, picking the lower body might be the better option.

Why Is The Lower Half Better?



Weight gain in the upper body happens when eating too much junk results in the expansion of existing fat cells. For reasons that are not entirely clear, the growth of these existing cells may trigger what's known as metabolic disease a host of problems that disrupt metabolism, and cause all sorts of issues.

What is known is that there's a correlation between people who gain lots of weight around the middle and people who develop metabolic disease.

New Fat Cells Seem To Ward Off Disease



In the thighs and other lower body parts, meanwhile, overeating results in the creation of new fat cells. Somehow, the addition of new fat cells seems to ward off metabolic disease.

Scientists think so, anyhow, because according to one study, people who gain weight in the lower body more than the upper tend not to have metabolic disease.

So although extra pounds may not be desirable, some types of fat are worse than others.

Read More:



  • Mayo Clinic Finds Upper, Lower Body Gain Weight Differently (Mayo Clinic)


Support For Indiana Public Media Comes From

About A Moment of Science