Junk in the trunk or a beer gut - which would you rather have? When it comes to your health, where you store fat makes a big difference. New research indicates that storing body fat in the hips, thighs and backside instead of the abdominal area may be healthful. In fact, when weight is more heavily distributed in the lower body, it may help protect against heart disease and diabetes. Belly fat increases the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.{relatedarticles}So why are pear shapes better off than apple shapes? It has to do with the way fat forms and is burned off in those areas. It takes longer for fat to build in the lower body, and it's harder to break down than belly fat. Abdominal fat is designed to build up quickly and be used as fuel for the body quickly. But when that type of body fat breaks down, inflammatory proteins called cytokines, which are linked to heart disease and insulin resistance, are released.