Results from a new UC-led study reveal that larger hips
correlate with higher test scores for both a woman and her child.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and UC Santa
Barbara analyzed data from a study in which body measurements, education levels
and various cognitive test scores of more than 16,000 women and girls were
recorded from 1988-94.

The report shows that women with waists that were about 70
percent of the diameter of their hips scored slightly better on intelligence
tests and tended to have a higher level of education than women with a higher
waist-to-hip ratio. The researchers also contend that men, whether they know it
or not, tend to prefer curvier women because of this advantage.

Although the differences in cognitive ability were small —
on average between 3.6 percent and 7 percent — the reason behind the findings
may lie in the differences between the fat stored in the hips and legs and fat
stored in the stomach. The fat surrounding fuller hips and thighs, researchers
said, holds higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which foster brain growth.

The study was published in the journal of Evolution and
Human Behavior.