Although past research determined that a waist over 88.9cm (35in) for a woman and 101.6cm (40in) for a man indicates an elevated risk of diabetes and heart disease, a new study suggests that thigh circumference is a more accurate indicator (news.bbc.com), . However, when it comes to thighs, unlike with waists, bigger is better.
Relationship Between Thigh Size and Health
According to news.bbc.com, a study conducted in Denmark at Copenhagen University Hospital and published in the British Medical Journal concluded that people with thigh measurements over 60cm (23.6in) are at lower risk of heart disease and early death than people with smaller thighs.
Researchers tracked the occurrence of heart disease for 10 years and death for 12-and-a-half years in a total of 3,000 subjects. During this time, “257 men and 155 women died, 263 men and 140 women developed cardiovascular disease, and 103 men and 34 women suffered from heart disease” (news.bbc.com). Moreover, the risk of health issues and premature death more than doubled for subjects with the smallest thighs (below 55cm or 21.5in); and the relationship between thigh size and health remained even when body fat, smoking, and cholesterol levels were factored into the equation.
Researchers ultimately concluded that people with small thighs may not have enough muscle mass to deal with insulin properly, which raises their risk of diabetes and, in turn, heart disease; therefore, people with smaller thighs should increase muscle mass through exercise.
Increasing Muscle Mass
In order to increase muscle mass in thighs and, consequently, their size, people can undertake an exercise regimen. There are, however, two factors that can affect the results and, therefore, must be considered: body type and weight.
Three Different Body Types
There are three different body types: Endomorph, Mesomorph, and Ectomorph. Of course, some people are a composite of two or even all three types.
- Ectomorphs are generally tall and thin with long arms and legs. They usually experience difficulty gaining weight or muscle mass, regardless of food intake or the amount of strength training. Moreover, they do not have large thighs. In fact, they tend to have very small thighs.
- Mesomorphs are generally muscular and short with stocky arms and legs. They usually find it difficult to lose weight but easily gain muscle mass when participating in strength training. Plus, they tend to have large thighs.
- Endomorphs are typically pear-shaped and their bodies contain a high percentage of fat. They are also resistant to weight loss, and because their metabolisms tend to be slow, endomorphs are better equipped to handle prolonged periods of starvation and famine. They usually gain muscle mass quite easily through strength training and tend to have rather large thighs. (snac.ucla.edu)
Note: If the results of the study are accurate, then it appears that ectomorphs, being slimmer and with smaller thighs, will experience more health problems and earlier deaths than mesomorphs or endomorphs, even though countless studies have shown that thinner people are generally healthier and live longer than heavier people.
Body Weight and Thigh Size
Someone who is overweight will naturally have larger thighs than someone who is either an ideal weight or underweight. For example, consider these two women:
- Nancy T. is 5’ 5’’, weighs 115 pounds, and has 20in thighs. For exercise, she bicycles at least an hour a day, seven days a week.
- Valerie M. is also 5’ 5’’, but weighs 200 pounds and has 27.5in thighs. Moreover, her idea of exercise is walking from the couch to the refrigerator and back again.
Based upon the study in the British Medical Journal, Nancy is more likely to experience a heart attack and/or die prematurely than Valerie; therefore, Nancy needs to gain muscle mass to increase the size of her thighs.
Exercise Thighs and Increase Muscle Mass
Although any exercise will increase muscle mass, as well as tone the body, at least to a degree, the best exercise for enlarging thighs is strength training, specifically squats and leg presses. Yet, according to Dr. C. M. Rzadkiewicz, who has trained several bodybuilders and also works out religiously himself, it would be impossible for Nancy to gain 3.6 inches in her thighs, regardless of the number of squats and presses she performed, except under two conditions:
- She either gained approximately 50 pounds, putting her at risk for obesity-related health problems;
- Or she took steroids, which would result in such unpleasant side effects as a deeper voice and increased facial hair, as well as major health issues.
In conclusion, since increasing one’s thigh size isn’t especially easy and has certain inherent health risks, perhaps people with small thighs should take the study’s findings with the proverbial grain of salt. Moreover, the researchers apparently agree since, according to news.bbc.com, they “cautioned that the research needed corroborating” and that “it was too early to change current advice on eating and exercise for heart health.”
Sources:
“Large Thighs May Protect Heart,” Friday, 4 September 2009, news.bbc.com
Rzadkiewicz, C. M., Personal Interview; Lafayette, Louisiana; September 5, 2009
Weight Management, Body Types; retrieved September 6, 2009 from snac.ucla.edu
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