It is understood that fat supplies found in women's thighs and buttocks are vital for an infant's brain development, therefore it has been suggested that women with larger bums and thighs are more likely to produce intelligent children.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Professor Will Lassek, a public health epidimiologist at the university, explained the study.
Dr Lassek said: "The fat in these areas is a depot for building a baby's brain. You need lots of fat to make a nervous system and the fats in these areas are also enriched with DHA which is a particularly important component in the human brain."
Commenting on the connection between motherhood and female fat distribution, the professor said: "It looks as if women have evolved to accumulate these fats and hold onto them- until a baby arrives", thereby offering an insight into the reason why women typically have difficulty shedding weight from these particular areas.
Dr. Lassek, who carried out research into the distribution of fat in women's bodies, has published the findings in his recent book Why Women Need Fat.
