Buttock Shape May Predict Diabetes Risk, Study Finds

The shape of your buttocks may serve as a new physical indicator for predicting diabetes risk, according to new research. The study found that men with flatter buttocks and women with enlarged, less firm buttocks face higher diabetes risk.

According to the UK's Daily Mail and other outlets on Sunday, researchers at the University of Westminster confirmed that changes in gluteus maximus shape show a closer association with diabetes than muscle size alone, with the form varying significantly based on disease status and gender.

**Men show 'buttock shrinkage,' women show 'buttock expansion and firmness loss'**

Analysis of Type 2 diabetes patients revealed that male patients had smaller, flatter buttock muscles compared to healthy men, interpreted as resulting from muscle mass loss and muscle atrophy.

Female patients, however, appeared to have larger buttocks due to increased intramural fat accumulation within the muscle.

The research team converted MRI data into 3D models to track structural changes in the muscles. Results showed that weaker individuals with lower fitness levels exhibited unhealthier changes in gluteal muscle shape, while aging, sedentary lifestyle, and lack of exercise emerged as key factors in thinning buttock muscles.

Researcher Marzola Tanaz explained, "Men with better muscle strength had larger and firmer buttock muscles," adding that "women appear to show less muscle atrophy from aging, but when insulin resistance increases, fat between muscles grows, resulting in a 'bulging buttock' shape without firmness."

**'Hidden fat' poses risk even with normal body type**

The research team noted the significance of these findings in revealing the dangers of "hidden fat" (visceral or intramuscular fat) that cannot be detected by apparent weight alone.

The researchers emphasized, "Changes in buttock muscle shape could serve as an early warning sign for Type 2 diabetes," adding that "metabolic risk may already be progressing even when body type appears normal."

According to Diabetes UK, approximately 12 million people in the UK are at risk for prediabetes or diabetes, with an estimated 4.6 million diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The researchers suggested that tracking buttock shape changes could provide a new approach to early diagnosis and personalized treatment.

The team analyzed over 61,300 MRI scans, body measurements, medical histories, and lifestyle records from UK Biobank data. The findings are scheduled to be presented at the annual conference of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).