Can body fat protect you like a built-in cushion?

摘要

Fat can indeed act as a shock absorber in violent collisions. A 2003 study of car-crash victims found that those with more subcutaneous fat were less likely to suffer abdominal injuries. But the fat-as-airbag principle only goes so far. When a driver is flung forward, the heavier his or her body, the greater the force required to stop it.