Researchers from the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen have found that "apple-shaped" women with excess fat around the waist are likely to be less healthy than curvaceous, "pear-shaped" women with more fat around their hips, reported the Scottish daily The Scotsman.

The report says that fat cells around the stomach drain fatty acids to the blood much more easily than fat cells elsewhere, thereby damaging the insulin system and raising the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

But a pear-shaped woman has fat stored around the hips, where it is more likely to produce adiponectin, a hormone that has anti-inflammatory effects and is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

Researches studied more than 50,000 men and women of different shapes before concluding that fat on the hips is really good to fight heart risks.

"It's not a question of having wide hips, it is a question of having hips that are not too narrow. If there is too little fat or muscle around the hips there is a correlating risk of heart attack and dying prematurely," said Berit Heitmann, one of the researchers.
 
Added David Haslam, the chairman of the British National Obesity Forum: "While pear-shaped people were at a greater risk of arthritis due to carrying greater weight, they were healthier overall thanks to the anti-inflammatory substance being produced."