Here’s Good News For Folks With Less-Than-Thin Thighs

I read about a study published in the British Medical Journal that said men and women whose thighs are less than 23.6 inches have a higher risk of premature death and heart disease compared with people whose thighs are larger. People with less than 21 inches doubled their risk.

Because there are many ingredients in my personal stew of crazy —competitiveness, curiosity, and a dash of hypochondria —I measured. Oddly, my left thigh is 22.5 inches, and my right is 23. Maybe it’s not so odd after all. My feet are a half size different too. It takes all my concentration not to walk in circles.

But I digress.

The researchers think too little muscle mass means less insulin resistance, which increases cardiovascular risk. They say that thigh circumference is an even bigger predictor of heart disease than waist circumference, which we hear a lot about.

The good news is that thigh muscle mass can be controlled better than belly fat. The bad news is they need to do more research.

It’s funny because just this past week I was thinking that I should lower the weight and increase the reps on my leg extensions …

… because my thighs were getting bigger instead of smaller like I’d, ahem, prefer. But now, I’ll add ten more pounds to my weight stack to increase muscle mass.

Besides, using heavier weights makes me feel buff. Just call me Buffy, the Heart Disease Slayer.

How big are your thighs? Are you happy with them? Do you think they’ll protect you from premature death or heart disease? Have you ever seen somebody with such skinny legs you wondered how they held themselves up?