Why do women gain subcutaneous fat around their hips and thighs and other parts of their body during puberty?

Great question!

Boring answer - to prepare their body for pregnancy, an energy store.

Interesting answers

Theory 1
A balance for pregnant woman to increase their mechanical efficiency
Women's Fat Deposits Help Offset Load Imposed by Pregancy: Scientific American

Theory 2 -
Also an evolutionary psychology theory is that men would be more attached to women with larger hips as they would be more fertile (ie less likely to die in childbirth therefore more likely to have more children) However walking on two legs means the pelvis cannot be too wide - otherwise it's mechanically impossible to walk. So women who deposited fat around their hips looked like they had larger hips without having to alter how they walked. However this doesn't actually contribute to fertility at all - so men started to prefer thinner women who were not 'lying' about their hip size. But women changed again using a narrow waist as an indication of thinness = hourglass shaped. Narrow waist is a further deception of how much body fat the woman has - look my hips are genuinely large - it's not fat honest!

Right I can't give you any links to this as they are in journals you'd have to subscribe to (v expensive) So you'll have to take my word on it that this is a well known one.

Theory 3 - I have not read this in any literature but it is also endearing
EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY: Fat thighs

So no one knows for sure it seems! I found more than I knew originally just trying to find sources for my own information.

From an anatomical POV, I'd suggest that the extra spread of the pelvis, skeletal-wise during puberty, the fat deposits universally, however it may appear on a greater scale in women.

The gait is affected in a woman by the extra width of the pelvis, due to a 'roll' of the hips required of the female femoral ball and socket joint (I would use the correct terminology, but it's not important here).

I would also suggest that it may be an evolutionary adaptation (extra fat on the thighs) for lowering the centre of gravity further during pregnancy to minimise falls and other injuries to the baby bump.

I would partially agree with a 'storage' concept as above-well researched data as well!


Hope this helps

Nature prepares women for chil bearing and mother hood
Making her body nurturing and soft for baby, e.g... lap of a mother is warm n soft for baby to feel warm and protected. The fat is for this purpose and of course to ease through labour and stuff .