A UK report has reveled that having naturally big bums, thighs and hips can actually be healthy, and can help to protect against heart and metabolic problems. Fat in hips can actually help to mop-up harmful fatty acids and can help to prevent clogged arteries. Having too little fat around the hips could actually be more harmful than good.

However the bad news is that fat around the waistline does not offer the same protection and is harmful to the body. The breakthrough could help scientists and doctors look at redistributing body fat to these areas to deal with cardiovascular and metabolic problems.

Lead researcher Dr Konstantinos Manolopoulos, of Oxford University, said: “It is shape that matters and where the fat gathers. Fat around the hips and thighs is good for you but around the tummy is bad.”

He said in an ideal world, the more fat around the thighs the better – as long as the tummy stays slim.

“Unfortunately, you tend not to get one without the other,” he said.

Fotini Rozakeas of the British Heart Foundation said: “This research helps us better to understand how fat acts in the body in order to develop new approaches in reducing heart and circulatory disease.

“If you are overweight, obese, or if you have a waist size that is increased, it is important to make changes to your lifestyle, such as eating a healthy diet and doing regular physical activity, to reduce your risk of heart health problems.”