Amazingly, our bodies can help shape the brains of our kids. A new study gives us even more reasons to celebrate and value all kinds of bodies. It turns out that women with curvier bodies are more likely to have smarter kids, and we’ve found out why this is.
Body fat can provide important nutrients.
Most scientists agree that genetic and external factors work together in a complicated way to shape intelligence. Yet, things like prenatal care, a mother’s diet, and the general environment in which a child grows up are known to affect a child’s intellectual development and cognitive skills greatly.
But a new study found a link between how women look and how smart their children are. It’s really interesting to think about how our bodies might affect how our children’s brains grow. It’s like finding out about a lot of new things we had never thought about before.
In a study done at Pittsburgh University by Professor Will Lassek and his team, they found an interesting link between certain parts of a woman’s body and how kids learn intelligence through breastfeeding. These places are often called “fat banks,” including the hips, thighs, and buttocks.
Even though the experts make it clear that they do not think being overweight is healthy, they do say that having extra body fat can provide important nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which are good for fetal brain development.
The smarter a child is, the fatter he or she is.
Professor Will Lassek says that the fat in these places helps build a baby’s brain. “To make a nervous system, you need a lot of fat, and the fats in these places are high in DHA, which is a very important part of the brain.
Lassek went on to say that women have evolved in ways that allow them to store and keep these “fats” until they give birth. So, when a woman nurses her baby, these fats, called “brain-building, breast-milk lipids,” are released from the body. This makes the woman lose weight. “It seems like women have evolved to store these fats and keep them until they have a baby.”
Professor Bainbridge, a reproductive biologist at Cambridge University, says that most of the fats in breast milk that help build the brain come from the mother’s legs and buttocks.
He also says, “Women with bigger thighs have higher levels of these lipids, and there is some evidence that they and their children may be smarter because of it.”
Taking into account every body type
Self-criticism and worries about how they look are common problems for women in today’s society. One thing that gets much attention is how fat is distributed on a woman’s body, especially around the hips.
Understanding and accepting that women tend to carry more weight around their hips is an important part of enjoying and embracing the different shapes and sizes of women’s bodies. From a historical and biological point of view, women’s bodies have grown this way for reasons we’ve already talked about.
By understanding the biology and evolutionary reasons for this trait, we can fight against society’s narrow beauty standards on women’s bodies. Women can create a society of body positivity, self-acceptance, and empowerment by embracing and appreciating the natural differences in their bodies.
All types of women are beautiful. Self-love is important if we want to accept our bodies. So, many famous people, especially curvy ones, talk about body acceptance to encourage everyone to love themselves.
