A new research conducted at UC Davis Health System, with grant from American Diabetes Association published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism online may shatter the long established myth that pear shaped bodies with fat in buttock areas, are superior to apple shaped bodies, with fat accumulation in abdominal areas.

The UC Davis team found that in individuals with early metabolic syndrome, gluteal fat secreted elevated levels of chemerin and low levels of omentin-1 — proteins that correlate with other factors known to increase the risk for heart disease and diabetes. High chemerin levels, for example, correlated with high blood pressure, elevated levels of C-reactive protein (a sign of inflammation) and triglycerides, insulin resistance, and low levels of HDL cholesterol. Low omentin-1 levels correlated with high levels of triglycerides and blood glucose levels and low levels of HDL cholesterol.

“High chemerin levels correlated with four of the five characteristics of metabolic syndrome and may be a promising biomarker for metabolic syndrome,” said Jialal , lead investigator. “As it’s also an indicator of inflammation and insulin resistance, it could also emerge as part of a biomarker panel to define high-risk obesity states. The good news is that with weight loss, you can reduce chemerin levels along with the risk for metabolic syndrome.”