BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Research has long shown that people who carry their fat around the middle -- so called "apple" shapes -- have greater health problems than people who carry their fat around the rear, the so-called "pear" shapes.

But now a study published in the International Journal of Obesity shows that doctors from the United Kingdom have suggested that fat around the hind quarters may even be beneficial for health.

The type of fat that collects on the thighs and rear end takes a longer time to build up and break down than abdominal fat does.

The body uses both types of fat to increase energy, but breaking down belly fat triggers the release of many chemicals that cause inflammation -- whereas metabolizing lower body fat does not have this risk.

In fact, fat around the hindquarters may protect the heart -- scientists have found that it can act as a long-term trap for fatty acid molecules that could otherwise clog up blood vessels throughout the body.

But experts cautioned this isn't a license to eat junk food, as fat collects more quickly around the waist where it is dangerous for health.