Steatopygia

"Big butt" redirects here. For the mountains, see Big Butt Mountain. Not to be confused with Big Butte.

Steatopygia is the state of having substantial levels of tissue on the buttocks and thighs leading to a protruding 90-degree angled appearance and accompanied by lordosis. This build is not confined to the gluteal regions, but extends to the outside and front of the thighs, and tapers to the knee producing a curvilinear figure. The term is from the Greek stéar (στέαρ), meaning "tallow", and pugḗ (πυγή), meaning "rump".^[1][2][3][4]

The Neolithic "Steatopygous Goddess from Pano Chorio", c. 5800–4800 BC, terracotta, Crete; whether she is really a goddess is uncertain.

Steatopygia
A Khoisan woman displaying steatopygia
Pronunciation	/ˌstiːætəˈpɪdʒ(i)ə, stiˌæ-, ˌstiːə-, -toʊ-, -ˈpiː-, -ˈpaɪ-/

Steatopygia, a genetic phenotype^[5] leading to increased accumulation of adipose tissue in the buttock region, is most notably found among the Khoisan of Southern Africa. It has also been observed among Pygmies of Central Africa and also the Andamanese people, such as the Onge tribe in the Andaman Islands. Cave and shelter paintings show that the trait existed among European and North African populations during the Upper Paleolithic.^[6] This genetic characteristic is prevalent among women but occurs to a lesser degree in men.^[7]

A woman exhibiting steatopygia

It has been suggested that this feature was once more widespread. Paleolithic Venus figurines, sometimes referred to as "Steatopygian Venus" figures, discovered from Europe to Asia presenting a remarkable development of the thighs, and even the prolongation of the labia minora, have been used to support this theory. Whether these were intended to be lifelike, exaggeratory, or idealistic is unclear. These figures, however, may not qualify as steatopygian, since they exhibit an angle of approximately 120 degrees between the back and the buttocks, while steatopygia is typically described with an angle of about 90 degrees only.^[8] The dynamics of biomechanical movement will differ depending on the pelvic morphology by the same principle. The fascia anatomy of the sides of the sacral diamond area, which regulates its shape and movement, corresponds to the fascial thickenings that are part of the sacral complex of the thoracambular fascia, which surrounds the sacroiliac joints both posterioly and, from the iliolumbar ligaments anteriorly. The biochemical properties of the bands would have repercussions from the inside to the outside and vice-versa.^[9] The shape of the posterior muscular and adipose tissues seems to correspond with the general pelvic morphology. The classification is as follows: the gynecoid pelvis corresponds to a round buttocks shape, the platypelloid pelvis to a triangle shape, the anthropoid pelvis to a square shape and the android pelvis to a trapezoidal gluteus region.^[10] The trapezoidal shape is what gives steotopygia its specific shape and appearance; if anything, steatopygia is a trapezoidal figure from front, sideways and the back.

Steatopygia increases the risk of gigantomastia in females and gynecomastia in males. It is also associated with inflammation to the genital area causing larger labia minora and labia majora in females ("macronympha") and giving males a larger penile girth and length. Steotopygia gives an aggressive athletic pear shape and triangle figure. Also gives a infantile oval and round face to both females and males.^{[11][better source needed]}

In Georgian England, freak shows were known to have exploited women with steatopygia. The most well-known example was a South African Khoekhoe woman named Sarah Baartman,^[12] who is thought to have had lipedema.^[13]

Causes and genetics

Steatopygia is the relationship between the android auxilla, the femur, and various fat genes.^[14] It is speculated that genetics, food availability, and sexual selection all played a role in the development of steatopygia, with anthropologists noting that "large buttocks constitute... the major part of a Bushwoman's sexual attraction" and that "sexual selection may [therefore] have played an appreciable part in the development of steatopygia".^[15] Steatopygia forms a triangularly-shaped body build regardless of weight, meaning that even the severely underweight keep a triangular body shape.^[16]

Contemporary debates

Modern understanding of steatopygia is not connected solely to genetic markers.^[17] Historical perspective on race-influenced steatopygia was used for sexualizing people such as "Hottentot Venus."^[18]

See also

• Big Beautiful Woman
• Female body shape