British experts say carrying extra weight on your hips, bum and thighs is good for your health, protecting against heart and metabolic problems. They say hip fat mops up harmful fatty acids and contains an anti-inflammatory agent that stops arteries clogging. <br/><br/>The Oxford team said big behinds are preferable to extra fat around the waistline, which gives no such protection. <br/><br/>They told the International Journal of Obesity science could look to deliberately increase hip fat. And in the future, doctors might prescribe ways to redistribute body fat to the hips to protect against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as diabetes.<br/><br/>The researchers said having too little fat around the hips can lead to serious metabolic problems, as occurs in Cushing's syndrome. Evidence shows that fat around the thighs and backside is harder to shift than fat around the waist. <br/><br/>Experts say although this may sound undesirable, it is actually beneficial because when fat is broken down quickly it releases a lot of cytokines which trigger inflammation in the body. These cytokines have been linked to cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and diabetes.