BODIES come in all different shapes and sizes.
Some people have wide hips, while others have chunky arms, or even big feet.
Researchers in the US found that women with bigger thighs could be protected against illnessGetty
Studies have previously found that having a little more weight around the tummy area (visceral fat) can up your risk of health issues such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, some types of cancer and a stroke.
But experts have now found that having bigger thighs and cellulite could actually be beneficial for your health.
Researchers in Georgia, US, found that women who collect fat around their thighs, hips and buttocks could enjoy extra protection against dementia and strokes.
Writing in the journal Diabetes, medics found that the fat which sits under the skin and causes cellulite also protects you against inflammation-related disorders.
They also found that those who had high levels of this type of fat have lower levels of inflammation than their male counterparts.
The test was conducted on mice and the scientists found that when female rodents were given liposuction, with the fat being removed – their inflammation levels shot up.
Previous studies have shown that brain inflammation can present decades before symptoms of dementia occur.
Other researchers have previously found that consuming food and drinks that are high in anti-inflammatory properties could help stave off dementia.
However the new research does not suggest that women should purposely try to gain extra fat around their thighs in order to protect them against illness.
Prof Alexis Stranahan, expert at the department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University said researchers now need to look at the difference in sexes, and how they can be protective in different ways.
She said: “When we took subcutaneous fat out of the equation, all of a sudden the females’ brains start to exhibit inflammation the way that male brains do, and the females gained more visceral fat.
“But we need to get beyond the kind of simplistic idea that every sex difference involves hormone differences and hormone exposure.
“We need to really think more deeply about the underlying mechanisms for sex differences so that we can treat them and acknowledge the role that sex plays in different clinical outcomes.”
She added that the loss of fat could have different impacts on different parts of the brain – which need investigating.