Experts have warned against putting faith in research findings today suggesting that big thighs protect against heart disease.
The link is thought to arise because strong muscles in the thighs indicate general fitness.
A low thigh circumference is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease or premature death, according to Professor Berit Heitmann and colleagues at the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen, Denmark.
They based their study on 1,436 men and 1,380 women living in Denmark. There was "a greatly increased risk of premature death with measurements below around 60cm," they report on the website of the British Medical Journal.
The link was found in both men and women, and was unrelated to total body fat, smoking, or cholesterol. There was no benefit of having thighs larger than 60cm.
"The adverse effects of small thighs might be related to too little muscle mass in the region," they suggest.
However in an editorial, Dr Ian Scott of Princess Alexandra Hospital, Australia, points out that the association needs further research. He suggests it may be a chance finding, or if true, that more work must be done before it can be used to help doctors predict heart risk.
Based on the research, "it seems unlikely that thigh circumference will be clinically useful", he concludes.
Judy O’Sullivan, a senior cardiac nurse with the British Heart Association commented: "There is insufficient evidence to confirm that a low thigh circumference affects a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. However, low muscle mass is associated with low levels of physical activity which is an established risk factor for developing heart disease.
"Rather than focusing on the size of their thighs adults should aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily to help keep their heart healthy."
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