Larger thighs may add to longevity: Study

Individuals with narrow thighs are believed to die sooner than their counterparts who have larger thigh circumference, a new study finds.

Previous studies had reported that obesity is the strongest risk factor affecting one's health, adding that waist size (abdominal obesity) is a good predictor of heart disease, diabetes and early death. According to the study published in the British Medical Journal, thigh size is an accurate marker of longevity and narrower thighs increase the risk of premature death.

Individuals whose thighs are less than 60 centimeters in circumference are at a greater risk of premature death. The risk is reported to be doubled in those with the thighs less than 55 centimeters. "Additionally we found that the risk was more highly related to thigh circumference than to waist circumference," said lead researcher Professor Berit Heitmann, adding that the results are similar for both sexes.

Those with narrower thighs lack the muscle mass necessary to ensure proper glucose and lipid metabolism, a condition leading to type 2 diabetes and, in the long-run, heart disease. Scientists believe thigh size could soon be used as a marker for identifying patients at-risk of early death or other serious health problems.