Yahoo news is touting the benefits of big hips and butt: "A type of fat that accumulates around the hips and bottom may actually offer some protection against diabetes".

Unfortunately the result has only been examined in mice.

Kahn and colleagues conducted a series of experiments on mice where they transplanted subcutaneous fat from donor mice into the bellies and under the skin of mice.

Mice that got subcutaneous fat transplanted into their bellies started to slim down after several weeks, and they also showed improved blood sugar and insulin levels compared to mice that underwent a sham procedure.

"What we found was that when we put it in either place, there was some improvement in metabolism," Kahn said.

The research (published in Cell Metabolism) is intriguing - as it continues to highlight that all fat is not equal. However, taking fat from your rear-end and transplanting it into your stomach is not the most desirable treatment (unless you're a lab mouse trying to escape diabetes).

Exactly how this research can be used remains to be seen.