Is your body s

We’re all concerned about how we measure up and experts say our size and shape can reveal more about wellbeing than our diet or exercise regime. Here’s how your vital statistics can give a heads-up on your health

HEAD

Having a big head may offer better protection against the effects of dementia, according to German researchers.

A larger head was linked to better performance in tests, even in patients with the same Alzheimer’s-related brain cell loss. For every one per cent of brain cell death, an additional centimetre of head size was linked to a six per

NOSE

The bigger your hooter, the better it is at filtering out dust and airborne bacteria.

University of Iowa scientists found larger noses – one of the main entry points for harmful bugs into the body – inhale seven per cent fewer pollutants.

Bigger noses make it harder to breathe efficiently but offer better protection to the mouth.

FEET

It was the fabled get-out clause for conscription into the army but flat feet actually have health benefits.

A study published in the Archives of Family Medicine showed recruits with the flattest feet suffered the fewest injuries. The 20 per cent with the highest arches had a six-fold greater injury risk than those with flat feet.

A flat foot dampens shock on impact, says podiatrist Mike O’Neill, whereas high arches send shock waves through the body.

And according to a Bristol University study, women who had size six feet or larger in childhood have been linked with greater calorie intake, which in turn has been linked with an increased breast cancer risk.

TOES

cent greater score in memory tests.

Study leader Dr Robert Perneczky, from the Technical University of Munich, says the findings underline the importance of optimal brain development early in life, because the brain reaches 93 per cent of its final size by the age of six. He stressed the importance of diet during pregnancy, as well as during the early years of childhood.

FINGERS

A range of disorders have been linked to the ratio between index and ring fingers.

It’s thought a long ring finger is a sign that the foetus was exposed to higher levels of the male hormone testosterone, while a long index finger is a marker of the female hormone, oestrogen.

Conditions associated with a longer ring finger compared to the index include autism and ADHD. Those associated with a longer index include depression.

Men, who are more likely to develop autism and ADHD, tend to have a longer ring finger relative to their index finger. Long, delicate toes might make those strappy sandals worth wearing but stubby little ones could be better for you.

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology says comparatively short toes help with running. Long toes need more energy to bend and don’t absorb shock as well, making short toes a sign we’ve evolved to run after our prey more efficiently.

Longer toes also increase the risk of tendonitis, in which the tendons in the toes overstretch.

EARS

Elephants might use theirs to cool themselves down but big ears have benefits for humans too.

They can actually counteract hearing loss as we age, according to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, by helping us collect sound more efficiently.

And since our cartilage keeps growing as we age – explaining “old man’s ear” syndrome – it could be evolution’s way of keeping us going as we head into our sunset years.

Dr Ralph Holme, of the RNID, says it’s the outer ear that’s essential for collecting sound – a bit like an old-fashioned ear-horn – so the bigger your ears, the more sound flows down your ear canal.

BUM

Take comfort if you’re more Kim K than Kylie.

A big bottom is good for you – or at least better than having a big tummy.

Studies show that having a generous rear end rather than a pot belly, cuts levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol and raises levels of the ‘good’ cholesterol that protects the arter of diabet review of Universit

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