We’ve all heard of “apples” and “pears” – body types each exhibiting a different distribution of body fat. Apple-shaped individuals carry most of their excess body fat around their tummies, while pear-shaped people carry most of their excess body fat on their hips, buttocks and thighs. But not all fat is bad.

Now here comes good news for women who are fighting a losing battle while struggling to get themselves into the latest slim fit jeans. A generously proportioned derriere actually means the owner is less prone to develop Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

A study by Kahn and colleagues from Harvard, published in Cell Metabolism claims that the kind of fat which accumulates around the hips and bottoms may have a protective effect as it improves the sensitivity to the effect of insulin. The study involved donor mice whose subcutaneous fat was transplanted to other mice under their skin and bellies. Mice that underwent fat transplant in bellies had better metabolism and controlled blood sugar compared to the other category.

Is that ample butt ample reason to rejoice and sit on your bum all day? Not all researchers are so enthusiastic about the extrapolation of results from mice to men. Far fetched conclusions or not– temporary heartening news for women with plus sizes like me!