Could many of those fashion models with ultra thin legs be marching to an early grave?
Danish researchers have found that women and men whose thighs are less than 60 centimetres in circumference appear to be at an elevated risk of developing heart disease and suffering a premature death.
"We measured the right thigh at the maximum point which is often just below the buttocks," explained the lead researcher, Berit Heitmann, a professor of epidemiology at the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen.
The new study, published today in the British Medical Journal, adds to previous research linking various body shapes to different health outcomes.
For instance, it's long been known that "pear-shaped" women with relatively large bottoms face a lower chance of being stricken by a heart attack than people who have a big gut, "apple-shaped" physique.
But this is the first time researchers have investigated the implications of thigh size.
The findings, based on 3,000 Danes whose health was charted for more than 12 years, suggest that doctors may have previously overlooked an easy predictor of cardiovascular disease.
"If we have too little fat or too little muscle in the region [of the thighs] it may be detrimental to our health," said Dr. Heitmann.
The study wasn't designed to determine how thin thighs could lead to health problems, but the researchers have two theories.
One relates to muscle mass. Dr. Heitmann noted that the thighs represent one of the largest muscle groups in the body. She also pointed out that muscles contain insulin receptors to assist in the removal of glucose, or sugar, from the blood stream.
"It's possible when there is too little muscle there are too few receptors to bind to the insulin," she said. Poorly controlled blood-sugar levels could eventually lead to type 2 diabetes which, in turn, may cause cardiovascular disease.
The second theory concerns fat content. Dr. Heitmann said the lower body contains a special type of fat that produces substances known as adipokines which dampen inflammation and may help protect blood vessels from damage.
If further research confirms the Danish results, doctors may some day take thigh measurements as part of routine medical exams. And they may prescribe lower body exercises to bulk up the thighs and reduce the risks of an early demise.
But don't feel too smug if you have especially hefty thighs. There seems to be no added benefit in having thighs any bigger than 60 cm. or 23.6 inches. More is not necessarily better, said Dr. Heitmann.
