Thin thighs could be deadly

Good news for the bigger-bottomed: Danish researchers have revealed that thin thighs may be hazardous to health. The findings, revealed last week, indicate that premature death and heart disease were highest amongst people with the slimmest thighs, which could be bad news for supermodels.

2,800 people in the ‘middle-aged’ bracket were surveyed over the course of the last decade, with findings suggesting that people with thin thighs have a greater mortality rate and chance of heart disease. Researchers from the Institute of Preventative Medicine in Copenhagen have concluded that the risk is doubled for those with the smallest thighs, pointing out that thigh measurement, not waistline, was the studied area.

The discovery, published in the latest edition of the British Medical Journal, found those whose thighs measured less than around 60 centimetres were in some danger.

Those with wafer-thin thighs, less than 46cm, were a serious risk. In the average woman, 58cm is around a size 6 – typically just over 150cm tall just under 60 kilograms. Celebrities such as Madonna and Kate Moss, who weigh in at around 50 kilograms should consider reading the report.

While the reason for the increase in danger is not entirely known, it is believed that a lack of muscle mass can cause lack of metabolism and nutrient processing. The lack of fat can also lead to an inability to process insulin properly, leading to the onset of diabetes.

The results also indicated that anything much over the 61cm thigh mark does not have any significant difference. Of course, the other end of the scales is also a problem area, with obesity a long established cause of heart failure.

The researchers did acknowledge that the study was at this stage crude and evidence would need further corroboration.