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Gynoid fat
Gynoid fat refers to the body fat that forms around the hips, breasts and thighs.

Gynoid fat in women is used to provide nourishment for offspring, and is often referred to as 'reproductive fat'. Gynoid fat contains long-chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids which are important in the development of foetuses.

However, it is also regarded as a physically attractive feature and serves additionally as an indication towards a woman's reproductive potential for mates.

Sexual dimorphism
The differences in gynoid fat between men and women can be seen in the typical "hourglass" figure of a woman, compared to the inverted triangle which is typical of the male figure. Women commonly have a higher body fat percentage than men and the deposition of fat in particular areas is thought to be controlled by sex hormones and GH.

One hormone, estrogen inhibits fat placement in the abdominal region of the body, and stimulates fat placement in the glutofemoral areas (the buttocks and hips). Certain hormonal imbalances can affect the fat distributions of both men and women. Women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome, characterised by low estrogen, display more male type fat distributions such as a higher waist-to-hip ratio. Conversely, men who are treated with estregen to offset testosterone related diseases such as prostate cancer may find a reduction in their waist-to-hip ratio.

Sexual dimorphism in distribution of gynoid fat was thought to emerge around puberty but has now been found to exist earlier than this.

Reproductive function of gynoid fat
Gynoid fat is primarily a store of energy to be utilised in the nurturing of offspring, both to provide adequate energy resources during preganancy and for the infant during the stage in which they are breastfeeding. When there is insufficient energy resources in the environment, or health issues which require energy to combat a woman's storage of gynoid fat is likely to be reduced. Therefore, ancestrally, a female with high levels of gynoid fat would be signalling to males that they are in a optimal state for reproduction and nurturing of offspring. This can be seen in the fact that a female's WHR is at its optimum minimum during times of peak fertility - late adolescence and early adulthood, before increasing later in life.