Could being attractive be less in the eye of the beholder and down to a mathematical equation involving our waist and hip measurements?
We all want to know whether we’re attractive, how we square up against the next woman and how we can make ourselves more appealing. But a new study suggests that to sum our real assets all we need to do is an easy sum.
So perhaps beauty isn’t in the eye of the beholder, it comes down the far less subjective mathematical equation.
It has been found a woman’s attractiveness relates to the size of her waist compared with her hips. Scientists have discovered the ratio they say makes for the perfect figure. A waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of 0.7, or a waist measurement at 70 per cent of the hip circumference, is the magic number.
University of Queensland psychologist Dr Barnaby Dixson set out to find what makes a woman attractive to men.
A group of volunteers were presented with various pictures of a woman in which her bust, waist and hips had been digitally altered and asked to rate the image for attractiveness. Infra-red cameras tracked their eyes as they looked at the photos.
Although most were initially drawn to the woman’s cleavage, her hips and waist were key to attraction.
Perennially curvy beauties like Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Jessica Alba and Victoria’s Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio are all examples of the perfect ratio. Interestingly though, it isn’t a ratio dependant on curves or lack there of, simply proportion. Waif-like Kate Moss also chimes in.
The concept and significance of WHR as an indicator of attractiveness was first theorized by psychologist Devendra Singh in 1993, who argued that the WHR was a consistent estrogen marker.
Some researchers have found that the waist-hip ratio (WHR) is a significant measure of female attractiveness, although this has been found to be dependant on cultural values. Women with a 0.7 WHR are usually rated as more attractive by men from European cultures, while China favours a WHR of 0.6 in China to 0.8 or 0.9 in parts of South America and Africa.
However, the attractiveness of the hourglass figure holds true across countries and cultures. Research shows. Men across the world can all agree – from the UK, Cameroon, Germany and China, to New Zealand. German research released last year indicated an hourglass figure to be more attractive than even athletic types or long-legged, bigchested ‘Barbies’.
It is thought that a small waist-to-hip ratio is equated in the mind with good health and high fertility. ‘It is likely that perfect 0.7 ratio sends a biological signal to men that that woman is most fertile and most likely to produce a healthy offspring, no matter what size that woman is,’ says Dr Dixson. ‘It is all about the distribution of fat which is directly linked to fertility.’
In fact, looks like we’re all encouraged to celebrate our curvy bits according to the research data. Dr Dixson says men were wasting their time pumping iron in the gym because women have indicated they invariably prefer a leaner, less muscle-bound physique.
‘On a biological level, women are more likely to pick a leaner, even slightly more effeminate man as they equate those physical traits with being more caring and gentle and therefore a better prospect as a partner,’ he explains. ‘Humans simply do not mate randomly.’
Our booties are there for good reason girls! (To show off our smaller waists of course).
How to calculate your Waist-to-Hip ratio
1. Stand with your stomach relaxed
2. Find the narrowest point of your waist and measure in inches
3. Find the widest point of your hips and measure in inches
4. Divide the measurement from step 2 by the measurement from step 3. This is your waist-to-hip ratio
Source: ehow.com
