1
|
Ridley BJ, Cornelissen PL, Maalin N, Mohamed S, Kramer RSS, McCarty K, Tovée MJ. Personal ideal, cultural ideal and optimal attractiveness: Are these constructs for body size and shape the same or different? Body Image 2024; 51:101747. [PMID: 38875992 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
There has been an assumption in the literature that the three concepts of ideal body shape (personal ideal, cultural ideal, and the most attractive body shape) are effectively the same percept. To test this presumption, 554 participants completed either a between- or within-subjects condition using a matrix of 32 bodies varying in two dimensions: muscle and adiposity. Three separate groups of participants were recruited to the between-subjects design and made only one of these judgements, whilst participants in the within-subjects version completed all three of these judgments. These bodies are based on 3D scans of 221 women's bodies and so accurately represent the change in size and shape caused by changing body composition. The participants also completed a set of psychometric questionnaires to index the degree to which external concepts of body image have been internalised. The results show that in both conditions, all three judgements collapse onto the same average preferred body shape, with low adiposity and relatively high muscularity. However, this masked systematic differences in responses between personal ideals and the other body judgements, which may be explained by a difference in how information directly related to oneself is processed relative to more abstract third person judgements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bethany J Ridley
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Piers L Cornelissen
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Nadia Maalin
- Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Mohamed
- Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kristofor McCarty
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Martin J Tovée
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Longitudinal effects of school policies on children's eating behaviors and weight status: findings from the childhood obesity study in China megacities. Int J Obes (Lond) 2023; 47:17-23. [PMID: 36253402 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-022-01206-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine longitudinal effects of school policies on children's weight status and eating behaviors, and study how these effects may vary by children's age, sex, and baseline weight status in China. METHODS Data were collected in 2015, 2016, and 2017 in an open cohort of 3298 children aged 6-17, their parents, and schools in five large cities across China (Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Nanjing, and Chengdu). Children's weight, height, and waist circumference were measured, and their eating behaviors were self-reported. The 1691 children with such repeated measures in ≥ two waves were included in longitudinal data analysis with mixed effects models, testing the associations. RESULTS Having school vicinity food stall policy was associated with less frequent consumption of fast food (β = -0.14, p < 0.01) and snack (β = -0.84, p < 0.01). More significant associations were found between school policies and unhealthy eating behaviors for girls and children aged 6-11 than their counterparts. Among children without overweight or central obesity at baseline, having school cafeteria food policy was associated with lower risks for overweight and obesity (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.17-0.63) and central obesity (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.26-0.85). This existed for girls, but not for boys. School vicinity food stall policy was associated with lower BMI (β = -0.20, 95% CI: -0.37, -0.03) among all children and in girls (β = -0.28, 95% CI: -0.50, -0.05) without overweight at baseline. CONCLUSIONS School policies could reduce children's unhealthy eating behaviors and obesity risk in megacities in China. Children's age, sex, and baseline weight status modify the effects. School policies are important to fight the growing childhood obesity epidemic.
Collapse
|
3
|
Magallares A, Pérez-Garín D, Recio P, Molero F. The influence of partner appearance in the assessment of a person with obesity: an experimental study. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:3767-3771. [PMID: 36040567 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-022-01471-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study analyzes whether knowing that a male with obesity has a romantic relationship with a normal weight woman improves impressions about him. METHODS An online experiment was conducted with a sample of 3024 adult participants (1828 women and 1196 men) with a mean age of 36.11 (SD = 13.49). Each participant was shown two photographs: one of a male target with obesity and one of his female partner (who had either normal weight or obesity depending on the condition). The respondents' sex was added as a fixed factor into the analyses. Physical attractiveness was rated using an item with a scale ranging from 0 to 100. Competence, warmth, and morality were measured using a 17-item adjective list. RESULTS The target was assessed as more attractive when he had a partner with normal weight (F(1, 3009) = 4.85, p = .028, [Formula: see text] = .002), and was also given higher scores for competence (F(1, 3009) = 4.93, p = .026, [Formula: see text] = .002), warmth (F(1, 3009) = 4.32, p = .038, [Formula: see text] = .001), and morality (F(1, 3009) = 11.16, p = .001, [Formula: see text] = .004). There was a significant interaction between partner weight and the respondents' sex for physical attractiveness, as the difference between the scores in each condition was only significant for women. CONCLUSION It is possible that women perceived that the male target who had a normal weight partner had a higher status or some hidden quality besides his physical appearance, and thus rated him as more attractive. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level I, experimental study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Magallares
- School of Psychology, Social Psychology Department, Spanish Open University (UNED), C/ Juan del Rosal, 10, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Daniel Pérez-Garín
- School of Psychology, Social Psychology Department, Spanish Open University (UNED), C/ Juan del Rosal, 10, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Recio
- School of Psychology. Methodology Department, Spanish Open University (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Molero
- School of Psychology, Social Psychology Department, Spanish Open University (UNED), C/ Juan del Rosal, 10, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ridley BJ, Cornelissen PL, Maalin N, Mohamed S, Kramer RSS, McCarty K, Tovée MJ. The degree to which the cultural ideal is internalized predicts judgments of male and female physical attractiveness. Front Psychol 2022; 13:980277. [PMID: 36337567 PMCID: PMC9626828 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.980277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
We used attractiveness judgements as a proxy to visualize the ideal female and male body for male and female participants and investigated how individual differences in the internalization of cultural ideals influence these representations. In the first of two studies, male and female participants judged the attractiveness of 242 male and female computer-generated bodies which varied independently in muscle and adipose. This allowed us to map changes in attractiveness across the complete body composition space, revealing single peaks for the attractiveness of both men and women. In the second study, we asked our participants to choose the most attractive male and female bodies in a method of adjustment task in which they could independently vary muscle and adipose to create the most attractive body. We asked whether individual differences in internalization of cultural ideals, drive for muscularity, eating disorder symptomatology and depressive symptoms could systematically shift the location of peak attractiveness in body composition space. We found a clear preference by both genders for a male body with high muscle and low adipose, and a toned, low adipose female body. The degree of internalization of cultural ideals predicted large individual differences in the composition of the most attractive bodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bethany J. Ridley
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Piers L. Cornelissen
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Nadia Maalin
- Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Mohamed
- Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kristofor McCarty
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Martin J. Tovée
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hannier S, Tassoul A, De Sutter P. The understanding of women's sexual self-esteem in the light of the new concept of the sexualized body perception. SEXOLOGIES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sexol.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
6
|
Oswald F, Champion A, Pedersen CL. The Influence of Body Shape on Impressions of Sexual Traits. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2022; 59:330-343. [PMID: 33179978 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2020.1841723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The assumptions people make from body shape can have serious implications for the well-being of the individuals inhabiting such bodies. Fat people are subject to pervasive and resilient social stigma and discrimination, leading to negative mental and physical health outcomes, including negative sexuality-related outcomes. Though previous studies have examined the personality traits attributed to, or the sexual attractiveness of, varying body shapes, no research has asked participants to make attributions of sexual traits to varying body shapes. The purpose of this study was thus to examine sexuality-related trait inferences made from body shapes. Participants (N = 891, 70% women, Mage = 25.28) were randomly assigned to view 5 computer-generated 3-dimensional body models of varying shapes developed using the skinned multi-person linear model. Participants rated their sexual attraction to each body and the degree to which each of 30 traits (10 personality and 20 sexual) applied. Results demonstrated that larger bodies are generally viewed as less sexually attractive. Further, constellations of sexuality traits were predicted reliably by body shape, demonstrating that people hold sexual stereotypes about a diverse range of body shapes. This study provides an initial comprehensive demonstration of the sexuality-specific traits associated with varying body shapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flora Oswald
- Departments of Psychology and Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, Pennsylvania State University
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Swami V, Caprario C, Tovée MJ, Furnham A. Female physical attractiveness in Britain and Japan: a cross‐cultural study. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/per.568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Two purported cues to female physical attractiveness are body mass index (BMI) and body shape as measured by the waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR). This study examined the relative contribution of both cues in two culturally distinct populations. Eighty‐two male participants from Britain and Japan were asked to rate a set of images of real women with known BMI and WHR. Results showed that BMI is the primary determinant of female physical attractiveness, whereas WHR failed to emerge as a significant predictor. Results also showed that there were significant differences in preferences for physical attractiveness, with Japanese participants preferring images of women with significantly lower BMIs than Britons. Finally, results showed that the Japanese are more reliant on body shape than Britons when judging physical attractiveness. The findings are discussed in terms of evolutionary psychological explanations of mate selection, and sociocultural theories which emphasise the learning of preferences in social and cultural contexts. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Viren Swami
- Department of Psychology, University College of London, UK
| | | | | | - Adrian Furnham
- Department of Psychology, University College of London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Cohen E, Ndao A, Bernard JY, Gueye A, Duboz P, Macia E, Boëtsch G, Pasquet P, Holdsworth M, Gradidge PJL. Development and validation of the body shape scale (BOSHAS) for assessing body shape perception in African populations. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:1562. [PMID: 33066748 PMCID: PMC7566052 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09654-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As a consequence of ‘Western’ acculturation, eating disorders and body image disturbances, such as fatness phobia and body dysmorphic disorders towards musculature and body shape, are emerging in Africa, with young people the most affected. It is therefore important to accurately assess perceptions of body shape. However, the existing body image assessment scales lack sufficient accuracy and validity testing to compare body shape perception across different African populations. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Body Shape Scale (BOSHAS) to evaluate body shape perceptions related body image disorders in African populations. Methods To develop the BOSHAS, anthropometric measures of 80 Cameroonians and 81 Senegalese (both sexes included; 40.1% females overall) were taken for three body shape criteria: somatotype components, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio. Subjects were selected to cover a wide variability in body shape and were photographed in full face and profile positions. To validate the BOSHAS, the scale was administered twice (2 weeks apart) to 106 participants (aged 31.2 ± 12.6 years) to assess its reliability. In addition, a questionnaire measuring different aspects of body shape (e.g. musculature) was also administered (n = 597; aged 36.7 ± 15.6 years) to assess its convergent validity. Results The BOSHAS includes two sex-specific subscales of 10 photographs each. Most participants were able to repeat their BOSHAS preference order. Test-retest reliability was also consistent in estimating Current Body Shape (CBS), Desired Body Shape and Ideal Body Shape for participants and their partners. CBS was correlated with BMI, and different BOSHAS indices were consistent with declarations obtained by questionnaire. Conclusions The BOSHAS is the first sex-specific scale of real African models photographed in face and profile, including large body shape variability. The validation protocol showed good validity and reliability for evaluating body shape perceptions and dissatisfaction of Africans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Cohen
- CNRS, UMR 7206 « Eco-anthropologie », Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. .,CNRS, UMR 7178 « Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert CURIEN », Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France. .,MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Amadou Ndao
- CNRS, UMR 8177, IIAC-LAIOS, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Paris, France.,Raum IG 551, Université de Francfort sur le Main, Institut Ethnologie, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Jonathan Y Bernard
- Inserm, UMR 1153, Centre of research Epidemiology and Statistics Sorbonne Paris Cité (CRESS), Early Determinants of Children's Health and Development (ORCHAD) team, Villejuif, France.,Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Amadoune Gueye
- CNRS, UMI 3189 « Environnement, Santé, Société », Faculté de Médecine, UCAD, Dakar, Sénégal
| | - Priscilla Duboz
- CNRS, UMI 3189 « Environnement, Santé, Société », Faculté de Médecine, UCAD, Dakar, Sénégal
| | - Enguerran Macia
- CNRS, UMI 3189 « Environnement, Santé, Société », Faculté de Médecine, UCAD, Dakar, Sénégal
| | - Gilles Boëtsch
- CNRS, UMI 3189 « Environnement, Santé, Société », Faculté de Médecine, UCAD, Dakar, Sénégal
| | - Patrick Pasquet
- CNRS, UMR 7206 « Eco-anthropologie », Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | | | - Philippe Jean-Luc Gradidge
- Centre for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Pazhoohi F, Macedo AF, Doyle JF, Arantes J. Waist-to-Hip Ratio as Supernormal Stimuli: Effect of Contrapposto Pose and Viewing Angle. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2020; 49:837-847. [PMID: 31214904 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-01486-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In women, the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is an indicator of attractiveness, health, youthfulness, and reproductive potential. In the current study, we hypothesized that viewing angle and body postures influence the attractiveness of these forms based on the view dependency of WHR stimuli (vdWHR). Using eye tracking, we quantified the number of fixations and dwell time on 3D images of a female avatar in two different poses (standing and contrapposto) from eight viewing angles incrementing in 45 degrees of rotation. A total of 68 heterosexual individuals (25 men and 43 women) participated in the study. Results showed that the contrapposto pose was perceived as more attractive than the standing pose and that lower vdWHR sides of the stimuli attracted more first fixation, total fixations, and dwell time. Overall, the results supported that WHR is view-dependent and vdWHRs lower than optimal WHRs are supernormal stimuli that may generate peak shifts in responding. Results are discussed in terms of the attractiveness of women's movements (gaits and dance) and augmented artistic presentations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Farid Pazhoohi
- Department of Basic Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4710 - 057, Braga, Portugal.
| | - Antonio F Macedo
- Vision Rehabilitation Laboratory, Department and Centre of Physics, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Department of Medicine and Optometry, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | | | - Joana Arantes
- Department of Basic Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4710 - 057, Braga, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bovet J. Evolutionary Theories and Men's Preferences for Women's Waist-to-Hip Ratio: Which Hypotheses Remain? A Systematic Review. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1221. [PMID: 31244708 PMCID: PMC6563790 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last 25 years, a large amount of research has been dedicated to identifying men's preferences for women's physical features, and the evolutionary benefits associated with such preferences. Today, this area of research generates substantial controversy and criticism. I argue that part of the crisis is due to inaccuracies in the evolutionary hypotheses used in the field. For this review, I focus on the extensive literature regarding men's adaptive preferences for women's waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), which has become a classic example of the just-so storytelling contributing to the general mistrust toward evolutionary explanations of human behavior. The issues in this literature originate in the vagueness and incompleteness of the theorizing of the evolutionary mechanisms leading to mate preferences. Authors seem to have rushed into testing and debating the effects of WHR on women's attractiveness under various conditions and using different stimuli, without first establishing (a) clear definitions of the central evolution concepts (e.g., female mate value is often reduced to an imprecise concept of "health-and-fertility"), and (b) a complete overview of the distinct evolutionary paths potentially at work (e.g., focusing on fecundability while omitting descendants' quality). Unsound theoretical foundations will lead to imprecise predictions which cannot properly be tested, thus ultimately resulting in the premature rejection of an evolutionary explanation to human mate preferences. This paper provides the first comprehensive review of the existing hypotheses on why men's preferences for a certain WHR in women might be adaptive, as well as an analysis of the theoretical credibility of these hypotheses. By dissecting the evolutionary reasoning behind each hypothesis, I show which hypotheses are plausible and which are unfit to account for men's preferences for female WHR. Moreover, the most cited hypotheses (e.g., WHR as a cue of health or fecundity) are found to not necessarily be the ones with the strongest theoretical support, and some promising hypotheses (e.g., WHR as a cue of parity or current pregnancy) have seemingly been mostly overlooked. Finally, I suggest some directions for future studies on human mate choice, to move this evolutionary psychology literature toward a stronger theoretical foundation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Bovet
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
The visual cues that drive the self-assessment of body size: Dissociation between fixation patterns and the key areas of the body for accurate judgement. Body Image 2019; 29:31-46. [PMID: 30852440 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
A modified version of the bubbles masking paradigm was used in three experiments to determine the key areas of the body that are used in self-estimates of body size. In this paradigm, parts of the stimuli are revealed by several randomly allocated Gaussian "windows" forcing judgements to be made based on this partial information. Over multiple trials, all potential cues are sampled, and the effectiveness of each window at predicting the judgement is determined. The modified bubbles strategy emphasises the distinction between central versus edge cues and localises the visual features used in judging one's own body size. In addition, eye-movements were measured in conjunction with the bubbles paradigm and the results mapped onto a common reference space. This shows that although observers fixate centrally on the torso, they are actually directing their visual attention to the edges of the torso to gauge body width as an index of body size. The central fixations are simply the most efficient way of positioning the eye to make this estimation. Inaccurate observers are less precise in their central fixations and do not evenly allocate their attention to both sides of the torso's edge, illustrating the importance of efficiently sampling the key information.
Collapse
|
12
|
Thornborrow T, Jucker JL, Boothroyd LG, Tovée MJ. Investigating the link between television viewing and men's preferences for female body size and shape in rural Nicaragua. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
|
13
|
Wang G, Ekeleme-Egedigwe CA, El Hamdouchi A, Sauciuvenaite J, Bissland R, Djafarian K, Ojiambo R, Ramuth H, Holasek S, Lackner S, Diouf A, Hambly C, Vaanholt LM, Cao M, Hacker M, Kruger HS, Seru T, Faries MD, Speakman JR. Beauty and the Body of the Beholder: Raters' BMI Has Only Limited Association with Ratings of Attractiveness of the Opposite Sex. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2018; 26:522-530. [PMID: 29464908 DOI: 10.1002/oby.22092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Assortative mating for adiposity increases the genetic burden on offspring, but its causes remain unclear. One hypothesis is that people who have high adiposity find other people with obesity more physically attractive than lean people. METHODS The attractiveness of sets of images of males and females who varied in adiposity were rated by opposite sex subjects (559 males and 340 females) across 12 countries. RESULTS There was tremendous individual variability in attractiveness ratings. For female attractiveness, most males favored the leanest subjects, but others favored intermediate fatness, some were indifferent to body composition, and others rated the subjects with obesity as most attractive. For male images rated by females, the patterns were more complex. Most females favored subjects with low levels of adiposity (but not the lowest level), whereas others were indifferent to body fatness or rated the images depicting individuals with obesity as the most attractive. These patterns were unrelated to rater BMI. Among Caucasian males who rated the images of the thinnest females as being more attractive, the magnitude of the effect depended on rater BMI, indicating limited "mutual attraction." CONCLUSIONS Individual variations in ratings of physical attractiveness were broadly unrelated to rater BMI and suggest that mutual attraction is an unlikely explanation for assortative mating for obesity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guanlin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Chima A Ekeleme-Egedigwe
- Department of Chemistry/Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Federal University Ndufu Alike lkwo, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
| | - Asmaa El Hamdouchi
- National Energy Center of Nuclear Science and Technology (CNESTEN), Joint Research Unit of Nutrition and Food, CNESTEN-Ibn Tofail University, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Justina Sauciuvenaite
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Ruth Bissland
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Kurosh Djafarian
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Robert Ojiambo
- Medical Physiology Department, College of Health Science, School of Medicine, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Harris Ramuth
- Biochemistry Department, Central Health Laboratory Services, Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, Port Louis, Mauritius
| | - Sandra Holasek
- Center of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Sonja Lackner
- Center of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Adama Diouf
- Laboratory of Nutrition, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Catherine Hambly
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Lobke M Vaanholt
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Minxuan Cao
- Department of Biology, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Megan Hacker
- Department of Sports Medicine, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas, USA
| | - Herculina S Kruger
- Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Tumelo Seru
- Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Mark D Faries
- Family and Community Health Unit, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, College Station, Texas, USA
- Department of Humanities in Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, Bryan, Texas, USA
| | - John R Speakman
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Xu Y, Rahman Q, Zheng Y. Gender-Specificity in Viewing Time Among Heterosexual Women. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2017; 46:1361-1374. [PMID: 27511206 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0795-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Measures of sexual interest tend to be more gender-specific in heterosexual men than in heterosexual women. Cognitive measures, such as viewing time to attractive stimuli, may also show similar patterns of gender-specificity or nonspecificity among men and women and thus serve as useful adjuncts to more direct measures of sexual interest. The objectives of the present research were to determine the extent of gender-specificity in women's viewing times for female pictures (varying in their perceived physical attractiveness) and explore the influence of social comparison of physical appearance on these patterns of responses. In Study 1, we recorded only women's viewing times for pictures of both genders, measured self-reported menstrual cycle phase, and manipulated the waist-to-hip ratio of the women in the female pictures. In Study 2, we recorded women's and men's viewing times, self-reported sexual attraction to pictures of males and females, and physical appearance social comparison. Study 1 found that heterosexual women's viewing time toward female pictures was not associated with manipulation of the perceived attractiveness of those pictures. Study 2 found that heterosexual men were more gender-specific than heterosexual women in their viewing time patterns. We also found that reported sexual attraction and physical appearance social comparison were associated with heterosexual women's viewing times for female pictures, while heterosexual men's viewing times were associated with sexual attraction only. Our results are discussed in relation to the utility of viewing time as an indicator of visual attention toward attractive or sexually appealing visual stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yong Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Dodd DR, Velkoff EA, Forrest LN, Fussner LM, Smith A. Beauty in the eye of the beholder: Using facial electromyography to examine the association between eating disorder symptoms and perceptions of emaciation among undergraduate women. Body Image 2017; 21:47-56. [PMID: 28282555 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Thin-ideal internalization, drive for thinness, and over-evaluation of the importance of thinness are associated with eating disorders (EDs). However, little research has examined to what extent perceptions of emaciation are also associated with ED symptoms. In the present study, 80 undergraduate women self-reported on ED symptomatology and perceptions of emaciated, thin, and overweight female bodies. While participants viewed images of these different body types, facial electromyography was used to measure activation of facial muscles associated with disgust reactions. Emaciated and overweight bodies were rated negatively and elicited facial responses consistent with disgust. Further, ED symptomatology was associated with pronounced aversion to overweight bodies (assessed via self-report pleasantness ratings), and attenuated negative affect to emaciated bodies (assessed via facial electromyography). The latter association was significant even when controlling for self-reported perceptions of emaciation, suggesting that psychophysiological methods in ED research may provide valuable information unavailable via self-report.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorian R Dodd
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Avenue, Oxford, OH 45056, United States.
| | - Elizabeth A Velkoff
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Avenue, Oxford, OH 45056, United States
| | - Lauren N Forrest
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Avenue, Oxford, OH 45056, United States
| | - Lauren M Fussner
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Avenue, Oxford, OH 45056, United States
| | - April Smith
- Department of Psychology, Miami University, 90 N. Patterson Avenue, Oxford, OH 45056, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
|
17
|
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of garment size on perceived body size. The perceived body sizes of nine Chinese men, with Body Mass Index between 17.0 and 37.1 kg/m2, wearing five sizes of white T-shirts were assessed using Thompson and Gray's Nine-figural Scale. Garment sizes on perceived body sizes were different for those of different Body Mass Index. A backpropagation neural net model was used to model the nonlinear relationship between the perceived body size and the body's BMI, body chest girth, and garment ease (difference between garment and body chest girth). When the BMI was less than 20, wearing larger-sized T-shirts tended to increase perceived body size. For large chest sizes and for taller persons (BMI of 20 to 28) large garments made the wearer look thinner. However, for small persons (BMI of 20 to 28) effect of garment size was relatively small. Obese persons (BMI of >28), wearing garments too tight or too loose were perceived as larger. Minimum perceived body size was found for garment ease of 2 to 3 cm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fu Liu
- Institute of Communication Engineering, Jilin University
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Swami V, Tovée MJ. The Influence of Body Mass Index on the Physical Attractiveness Preferences of Feminist and Nonfeminist Heterosexual Women and Lesbians. PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN QUARTERLY 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-6402.2006.00293.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
|
19
|
Abstract
To provide plastic surgeons with more detailed information as to factors affecting the perception of female attractiveness, the present study was aimed to investigate whether the interaction effect of breast and body size on ratings of female attractiveness is moderated by sociodemographic variables and whether ratings of shapeliness diverge from those of attractiveness.A community sample of 958 Italian participants rated the attractiveness and the shapeliness of 15 stimuli (5 breast sizes × 3 body sizes) in which frontal, 3/4, and profile views of the head and torso of a faceless woman were jointly shown.Bigger breast sizes obtained the highest attractiveness ratings, but the breast-by-body size interaction was also significant. Evidence was found of a moderator role of sex, marital status, and age. When the effects of breast and body size and their interaction had been ruled out, sex differences were at best very slight and limited to very specific combinations of breast and body sizes. Ratings of attractiveness and shapeliness were highly correlated and did not significantly differ.Results suggest that to address women's psychological needs, concerns, and expectations about their appearance, plastic surgeons should not simply focus on breast size but should carefully consider the 'big picture': the body in its entirety.
Collapse
|
20
|
Swami V, Gray M, Furnham A. The Female Nude in Rubens: Disconfirmatory Evidence of the Waist-to-Hip Ratio Hypothesis of Female Physical Attractiveness. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.2190/r11x-5752-v164-4240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Strong versions of evolutionary psychologists have proposed that men possess perceptual mechanisms that engender a preference for women with low waist-to-hip ratios (WHR), typically 0.70, as this is considered maximally healthy and fertile. This has taken to be culturally and temporally invariant. In the present study, two semi-expert and two non-expert judges made measurements of the WHR of nude females in paintings by Pieter Pauwel Rubens. The results showed that the mean WHR of Rubens' women was 0.776, significantly higher than the reported preference for WHRs of 0.70. Possible non-adaptive explanations for this result are proposed in conclusion.
Collapse
|
21
|
Fuglestad PT, Wall MM, Shim JJ, Eisenberg ME, Neumark-Sztainer D. Is Friendship Network Weight Status Associated with One's Own Psychological Well-being? It Depends on One's Own Weight Status. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2016; 35:401-424. [PMID: 28316367 PMCID: PMC5353853 DOI: 10.1521/jscp.2016.35.5.401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives (e.g., social comparison theory, reward theory, evolutionary theory), the present research examined the relations of self and friendship network weight status to body satisfaction, self-esteem, and depression. A diverse, population-based sample of adolescents completed measures of well-being and were measured for height and weight. Boys had greater self-esteem if their male friendship networks' weight status mismatched, versus matched, their own weight status (d = .23). Conversely, boys had greater body satisfaction if their female friendship networks' weight status matched, versus mismatched, their own weight status (d = .18). For girls, the relations of male and female friendship networks' weight status with well-being did not vary by one's own weight status. Evolutionary theory appears to best explain the observed patter of results, and clinicians may want to consider friends' weight status when dealing with adolescents' body satisfaction issues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul T Fuglestad
- Department of Psychology, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224
| | - Melanie M Wall
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive Unit 48, New York, NY 10032
| | - Jin Joo Shim
- Precision Health Economics LLC, 11100 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90025
| | - Marla E Eisenberg
- Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street SE, 3rd Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55414
| | - Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S 2nd Street, suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Zahedi H, Kelishadi R, Heshmat R, Hasani Ranjbar S, Esmaeil Motlagh M, Ardalan G, Arefirad T, Mohammadi R, Asayesh H, Qorbani M. Association of adolescents' weight status with life satisfaction: role of self, peers, family and school perception; the CASPIAN-IV Study. Minerva Pediatr 2015; 71:235-241. [PMID: 26677951 DOI: 10.23736/s0026-4946.16.04410-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although many public health programs have focused on prevention and control of obesity, their efficacy mostly depends on personal factors including perception of weight and personal understanding of the concept of being overweight. This study aims to investigate the association of adolescent's weight status with life satisfaction and explore the role of self, peers, family and school perception in this association. METHODS Data were obtained from the fourth school-based survey entitled "Childhood and Adolescence Surveillance and Prevention of Adult Non-communicable Disease" (CASPIAN) Study. This survey was conducted among 14,880 urban and rural students aged 6-18 years. Two sets of valid and reliable questionnaire obtained from Global School Health Survey (GSHS) were completed by students and their parents. The students' questionnaire had several questions including life satisfaction and the perception of weight, peers, family and school. RESULTS The study had a participation rate of 90.6% including 50.8% boys and 76% urban residents. Significant differences existed in Body Mass Index (BMI) and in perception of weight among girls and boys. Moreover, the prevalence of depression and being bullied were higher among girls and boys, respectively. Significant association was documented between life satisfaction and all variables including perception of weight, peers, family and school; the only exception was for BMI (P<0.05). In addition, students with normal weight had significantly higher life satisfaction in comparison with their obese counterparts (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The present study documented significant association between life satisfaction and perception of self, peer, family and school with the exception of BMI in both genders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hoda Zahedi
- Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roya Kelishadi
- Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Ramin Heshmat
- Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shirin Hasani Ranjbar
- Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Molecular-Cellular Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Gelayol Ardalan
- Department of Pediatrics, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Tahereh Arefirad
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rasool Mohammadi
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Asayesh
- Department of Medical Emergencies, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
| | - Mostafa Qorbani
- Non-communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Science, Karaj, Iran -
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Cohen E, Ndao A, Boëtsch G, Gueye L, Pasquet P, Holdsworth M, Courtiol A. The relevance of the side-view in body image scales for public health: an example from two African populations. BMC Public Health 2015; 15:1169. [PMID: 26603149 PMCID: PMC4659201 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-2511-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Body size scales are a common method for diagnosing body image disturbances and assessing the cultural valorisation of stoutness, a phenomenon that plays a role in the development of overweight, especially among African populations. Traditionally, body size scales present a front view. In this study, we evaluated a complementary model of representing body shape: the side view of body outlines. In particular, we examined the association between the side-view and a set of bio-anthropometric indices in men and women. Methods To cover the inter-ethnic variability in the Niger-Congo area, we selected a balanced sex-ratio sample of 80 Cameroonians and 81 Senegalese. Individuals wearing close-fitting clothes were photographed from the front-and side-view, and measured following a bio-anthropometric protocol synthesizing body shape variation: Body Mass Index, percentage body fat, somatotype profile, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, mean blood pressure and glycaemia. The shape of each front and side body outline was extracted and characterised by Normalized Elliptic Fourier Descriptors (NEFD). Finally, we assessed associations between NEFD and bio-anthropometric indices. Results Variation in the shape of both front and side body outlines was associated with all bio-anthropometrics for at least one sex-population combination. Overall, the side view best captured body shape variation related to changes in almost all bio-anthropometrics in both sexes and populations, with the exceptions of female mesomorphy, male blood pressure and glycaemia (in both sexes). We found that the details of the relationship between bio-anthropometrics and body shape differed between the two male populations, a finding that was reflected in side-views for all criteria, but not front-views. Conclusions Variation in body shape assessed by several bio-anthropometrics related to health and nutritional status was larger for side than front body outlines. Integrating side views in body size scales would improve the accuracy of body size assessment and thus, the assessment of behaviours leading to overweight, as well as symptoms of body image disturbances, in Africa and potentially in other populations. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2511-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Cohen
- UMI 3189 "Environnement, Santé, Sociétés", Faculty of Medicine-UCAD, BP 5005, Dakar-Fann, Sénégal, >Africa. .,UMR 7206 "Ecoanthropologie et Ethnobiologie", MNHN-CNRS, Musée de l'Homme, 17 place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France. .,UMR 7206:"Ecoanthropologie et Ethnobiologie", National Museum of Natural History, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Amadou Ndao
- UMR 7206 "Ecoanthropologie et Ethnobiologie", MNHN-CNRS, Musée de l'Homme, 17 place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France.
| | - Gilles Boëtsch
- UMI 3189 "Environnement, Santé, Sociétés", Faculty of Medicine-UCAD, BP 5005, Dakar-Fann, Sénégal, >Africa.
| | - Lamine Gueye
- UMI 3189 "Environnement, Santé, Sociétés", Faculty of Medicine-UCAD, BP 5005, Dakar-Fann, Sénégal, >Africa.
| | - Patrick Pasquet
- UMR 7206 "Ecoanthropologie et Ethnobiologie", MNHN-CNRS, Musée de l'Homme, 17 place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France.
| | - Michelle Holdsworth
- School of Health and Related Research, Public Health section, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, Regent Court, 30 Regent Street, Sheffield, S1 4DA, UK.
| | - Alexandre Courtiol
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse. 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Cohen E, Bernard JY, Ponty A, Ndao A, Amougou N, Saïd-Mohamed R, Pasquet P. Development and Validation of the Body Size Scale for Assessing Body Weight Perception in African Populations. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138983. [PMID: 26536030 PMCID: PMC4633130 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The social valorisation of overweight in African populations could promote high-risk eating behaviours and therefore become a risk factor of obesity. However, existing scales to assess body image are usually not accurate enough to allow comparative studies of body weight perception in different African populations. This study aimed to develop and validate the Body Size Scale (BSS) to estimate African body weight perception. Methods Anthropometric measures of 80 Cameroonians and 81 Senegalese were used to evaluate three criteria of adiposity: body mass index (BMI), overall percentage of fat, and endomorphy (fat component of the somatotype). To develop the BSS, the participants were photographed in full face and profile positions. Models were selected for their representativeness of the wide variability in adiposity with a progressive increase along the scale. Then, for the validation protocol, participants self-administered the BSS to assess self-perceived current body size (CBS), desired body size (DBS) and provide a “body self-satisfaction index.” This protocol included construct validity, test-retest reliability and convergent validity and was carried out with three independent samples of respectively 201, 103 and 1115 Cameroonians. Results The BSS comprises two sex-specific scales of photos of 9 models each, and ordered by increasing adiposity. Most participants were able to correctly order the BSS by increasing adiposity, using three different words to define body size. Test-retest reliability was consistent in estimating CBS, DBS and the “body self-satisfaction index.” The CBS was highly correlated to the objective BMI, and two different indexes assessed with the BSS were consistent with declarations obtained in interviews. Conclusion The BSS is the first scale with photos of real African models taken in both full face and profile and representing a wide and representative variability in adiposity. The validation protocol proved its reliability for estimating body weight perception in Africans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Cohen
- CNRS, UMI 3189 «Environnement, Santé, Société», Faculté de Médecine Secteur Nord, Marseille, France
- CNRS, UMR 7206 «Eco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie», Musée de l’Homme, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Jonathan Y. Bernard
- CNRS, UMR 7206 «Eco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie», Musée de l’Homme, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Amandine Ponty
- CNRS, UMR 7206 «Eco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie», Musée de l’Homme, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Amadou Ndao
- CNRS, UMR 7206 «Eco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie», Musée de l’Homme, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Norbert Amougou
- CNRS, UMR 7206 «Eco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie», Musée de l’Homme, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Rihlat Saïd-Mohamed
- CNRS, UMR 7206 «Eco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie», Musée de l’Homme, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
- MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Patrick Pasquet
- CNRS, UMR 7206 «Eco-anthropologie et Ethnobiologie», Musée de l’Homme, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wang G, Djafarian K, Egedigwe CA, El Hamdouchi A, Ojiambo R, Ramuth H, Wallner-Liebmann SJ, Lackner S, Diouf A, Sauciuvenaite J, Hambly C, Vaanholt LM, Faries MD, Speakman JR. The relationship of female physical attractiveness to body fatness. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1155. [PMID: 26336638 PMCID: PMC4556148 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspects of the female body may be attractive because they signal evolutionary fitness. Greater body fatness might reflect greater potential to survive famines, but individuals carrying larger fat stores may have poor health and lower fertility in non-famine conditions. A mathematical statistical model using epidemiological data linking fatness to fitness traits, predicted a peaked relationship between fatness and attractiveness (maximum at body mass index (BMI) = 22.8 to 24.8 depending on ethnicity and assumptions). Participants from three Caucasian populations (Austria, Lithuania and the UK), three Asian populations (China, Iran and Mauritius) and four African populations (Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal) rated attractiveness of a series of female images varying in fatness (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR). There was an inverse linear relationship between physical attractiveness and body fatness or BMI in all populations. Lower body fat was more attractive, down to at least BMI = 19. There was no peak in the relationship over the range we studied in any population. WHR was a significant independent but less important factor, which was more important (greater r (2)) in African populations. Predictions based on the fitness model were not supported. Raters appeared to use body fat percentage (BF%) and BMI as markers of age. The covariance of BF% and BMI with age indicates that the role of body fatness alone, as a marker of attractiveness, has been overestimated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guanlin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kurosh Djafarian
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Chima A. Egedigwe
- Department of Biochemistry, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
| | - Asmaa El Hamdouchi
- CNESTEN, Unité Mixte de Recherche Nutrition et Alimentation, CNESTEN-Université Ibn Tofail, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Robert Ojiambo
- College of Health Science, School of Medicine, Medical Physiology Department, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Harris Ramuth
- Biochemistry Department, Central health Laboratory services, Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, Mauritius
| | | | - Sonja Lackner
- Center of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Adama Diouf
- Laboratoire de Nutrition, Département de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Justina Sauciuvenaite
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Catherine Hambly
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Lobke M. Vaanholt
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Mark D. Faries
- Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX, USA
| | - John R. Speakman
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Hill RA, Donovan S, Koyama NF. Female sexual advertisement reflects resource availability in twentieth-century UK society. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2015; 16:266-77. [PMID: 26189750 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-005-1010-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2004] [Revised: 11/08/2004] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary theory suggests that men and women differ in the characteristics valued in potential mates. In humans, males show a preference for physical attractiveness, whereas females seek cues that relate to resources and future earning potential. If women pursue marriage as an economic strategy, female sexual advertisement should increase during periods of poor economic conditions when the number of high-quality male partners becomes a limited resource. To test this prediction, measures of skin display and clothing tightness were taken for clothes portrayed in UK Vogue magazine from 1916 to 1999. These estimates of sexual advertisement were analyzed in relation to an index of economic prosperity (GDP), while controlling for general increases in economic conditions and sexual display over the course of the past century. The results indicate that female sexual display increases as economic conditions decline, with the level of breast display and the tightness of clothing at the waist and hips the key factors underlying this increase. Breast size and symmetry and female body form are secondary sexual characteristics that play an important role in sexual attractiveness. Since advertisement of these features increases as levels of competition for high-quality partners increases, females appear to use marriage as an economic strategy. Patterns of female fashion appear to be underpinned by evolutionary considerations relating resource availability to female reproductive success.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Russell A Hill
- Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, 43 Old Elvet, DH1 3HN, Durham, UK.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Dural S, Cetinkaya H, Gülbetekin E. Hemispheric specialization in the assessment of female physical attractiveness. Laterality 2015; 20:232-48. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2014.955503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
28
|
|
29
|
Kościński K. Assessment of waist-to-hip ratio attractiveness in women: an anthropometric analysis of digital silhouettes. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2014; 43:989-97. [PMID: 23975738 PMCID: PMC4050298 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-013-0166-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2012] [Revised: 01/12/2013] [Accepted: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The low proportion of waist to hip size in females is a unique and adaptive human feature. In contemporary human populations, the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is negatively associated with women's health, fecundity, and cognitive ability. It is, therefore, hypothesized that men will prefer women with low WHR. Although this prediction is supported by many studies, considerable disagreement persists about which WHR values are the most attractive and the importance of WHR for attractiveness of the female body. Unfortunately, the methods applied thus far are flawed in several ways. In the present study, we investigated male preferences for female WHR using a high precision assessment procedure and digitally manufactured, high quality, anthropometrically informed stimuli which were disentangled from body mass covariation. Forty men were requested to choose the most attractive silhouette consecutively from six series (2 levels of realism × 3 levels of body mass), each consisting of 26 female images that varied in WHR (from .60 to .85 by .01). Substantial inter-individual variation in the choices made was observed. Nevertheless, low and average WHR values were chosen more frequently than above-average values or values below the normal variation of the trait. This preference pattern mirrors the relationship between WHR and mate value, suggesting that the preferences are adaptive.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Kościński
- Institute of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznan, Poland,
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Humans are not fooled by size illusions in attractiveness judgements. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2014; 35:133-139. [PMID: 24719551 PMCID: PMC3975338 DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2013.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Could signallers use size contrast illusions to dishonestly exaggerate their attractiveness to potential mates? Using composite photographs of women from three body mass index (BMI) categories designed to simulate small groups, we show that target women of medium size are judged as thinner when surrounded by larger women than when surrounded by thinner women. However, attractiveness judgements of the same target women were unaffected by this illusory change in BMI, despite small true differences in the BMIs of the target women themselves producing strong effects on attractiveness. Thus, in the context of mate choice decisions, the honesty of female body size as a signal of mate quality appears to have been maintained by the evolution of assessment strategies that are immune to size contrast illusions. Our results suggest that receiver psychology is more flexible than previously assumed, and that illusions are unlikely to drive the evolution of exploitative neighbour choice in human sexual displays.
Collapse
|
31
|
Bodily Attractiveness as a Window to Women’s Fertility and Reproductive Value. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0314-6_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
|
32
|
Demuth A, Czerniak U, Ziółkowska-Łajp E. A comparison of a subjective body assessment of men and women of the Polish social elite. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2013; 64:398-409. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2013.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
33
|
Röder S, Fink B. Facial, olfactory, and vocal cues to female reproductive value. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 11:392-404. [PMID: 23728193 PMCID: PMC10480824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Facial, olfactory, and vocal cues may advertise women's fertility. However, most of the evidence for this proposal has come from studies of changes in young adult women's attractiveness over the menstrual cycle. By contrast with this emphasis on changes in attractiveness over the menstrual cycle, possible changes in women's attractiveness over their lifespan have received little attention. The present study investigated men's ratings of young girls' (11-15 years old), adult women's (19-30 years old) and circum-menopausal women's (50-65 years old) facial, body odor, and vocal attractiveness and femininity. Faces and voices, but not body odors, of young girls and adult women were perceived to be significantly more attractive and feminine than those of circum-menopausal women. These data suggest that facial and vocal cues may be cues to women's reproductive value, but that body odor cues do not necessarily advertise this information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Röder
- Department of Sociobiology_Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Fink
- Department of Sociobiology_Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Röder S, Fink B, Jones BC. Facial, Olfactory, and Vocal Cues to Female Reproductive Value. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1177/147470491301100209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Facial, olfactory, and vocal cues may advertise women's fertility. However, most of the evidence for this proposal has come from studies of changes in young adult women's attractiveness over the menstrual cycle. By contrast with this emphasis on changes in attractiveness over the menstrual cycle, possible changes in women's attractiveness over their lifespan have received little attention. The present study investigated men's ratings of young girls' (11–15 years old), adult women's (19–30 years old) and circum-menopausal women's (50–65 years old) facial, body odor, and vocal attractiveness and femininity. Faces and voices, but not body odors, of young girls and adult women were perceived to be significantly more attractive and feminine than those of circum-menopausal women. These data suggest that facial and vocal cues may be cues to women's reproductive value, but that body odor cues do not necessarily advertise this information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Röder
- Department of Sociobiology_Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Fink
- Department of Sociobiology_Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Benedict C. Jones
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, 58 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QB, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Bale C, Archer J. Self-perceived attractiveness, romantic desirability and self-esteem: a mating sociometer perspective. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 11:68-84. [PMID: 23353113 PMCID: PMC10480979 DOI: 10.1177/147470491301100107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Sociometer theory proposes that self-esteem is an adaptation which evolved to monitor and regulate interpersonal relationships. It is therefore sensitive to self-assessments in domains relevant to relational desirability. Positive relationships between self-perceived physical attractiveness and self-esteem found in previous studies may reflect the functioning of a mating sociometer, designed to monitor individuals' desirability as romantic or sexual partners. We thus predicted that these relationships should be mediated by self-perceptions of romantic desirability, or more specifically, individuals' confidence in their abilities to successfully establish and maintain romantic relationships. Two hundred and eighty seven young adults (98 male) completed an online measure of self-perceived attractiveness, together with measures of self-confidence in appearance and romantic relationships, body-esteem and global self-esteem. Linear regression analyses indicated that self-perceived attractiveness, self-confidence in appearance and body-esteem all significantly predicted self-esteem, and that in each case, the relationship was mediated by romantic self-confidence. Self-perceived attractiveness predicted self-esteem significantly more strongly in females than in males. We discuss these results in relation to sociometer and parental investment theories, and explore limitations and future directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Bale
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Bale C, Archer J. Self-perceived attractiveness, romantic desirability and self-esteem: a mating sociometer perspective. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2013; 11:68-84. [PMID: 23353113 PMCID: PMC10480979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sociometer theory proposes that self-esteem is an adaptation which evolved to monitor and regulate interpersonal relationships. It is therefore sensitive to self-assessments in domains relevant to relational desirability. Positive relationships between self-perceived physical attractiveness and self-esteem found in previous studies may reflect the functioning of a mating sociometer, designed to monitor individuals' desirability as romantic or sexual partners. We thus predicted that these relationships should be mediated by self-perceptions of romantic desirability, or more specifically, individuals' confidence in their abilities to successfully establish and maintain romantic relationships. Two hundred and eighty seven young adults (98 male) completed an online measure of self-perceived attractiveness, together with measures of self-confidence in appearance and romantic relationships, body-esteem and global self-esteem. Linear regression analyses indicated that self-perceived attractiveness, self-confidence in appearance and body-esteem all significantly predicted self-esteem, and that in each case, the relationship was mediated by romantic self-confidence. Self-perceived attractiveness predicted self-esteem significantly more strongly in females than in males. We discuss these results in relation to sociometer and parental investment theories, and explore limitations and future directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Bale
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Crossley KL, Cornelissen PL, Tovée MJ. What is an attractive body? Using an interactive 3D program to create the ideal body for you and your partner. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50601. [PMID: 23209791 PMCID: PMC3510069 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2012] [Accepted: 10/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
What is the ideal body size and shape that we want for ourselves and our partners? What are the important physical features in this ideal? And do both genders agree on what is an attractive body? To answer these questions we used a 3D interactive software system which allows our participants to produce a photorealistic, virtual male or female body. Forty female and forty male heterosexual Caucasian observers (females mean age 19.10 years, s.d. 1.01; 40 males mean age 19.84, s.d. 1.66) set their own ideal size and shape, and the size and shape of their ideal partner using the DAZ studio image manipulation programme. In this programme the shape and size of a 3D body can be altered along 94 independent dimensions, allowing each participant to create the exact size and shape of the body they want. The volume (and thus the weight assuming a standard density) and the circumference of the bust, waist and hips of these 3D models can then be measured. The ideal female body set by women (BMI = 18.9, WHR = 0.70, WCR = 0.67) was very similar to the ideal partner set by men, particularly in their BMI (BMI = 18.8, WHR = 0.73, WCR = 0.69). This was a lower BMI than the actual BMI of 39 of the 40 women. The ideal male body set by the men (BMI = 25.9, WHR = 0.87, WCR = 0.74) was very similar to the ideal partner set by the women (BMI = 24.5, WHR = 0.86, WCR = 0.77). This was a lower BMI than the actual BMI of roughly half of the men and a higher BMI than the other half. The results suggest a consistent preference for an ideal male and female body size and shape across both genders. The results also suggest that both BMI and torso shape are important components for the creation of the ideal body.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Piers L. Cornelissen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Northumbria, United Kingdom
| | - Martin J. Tovée
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
|
39
|
Tovée MJ, Edmonds L, Vuong QC. Categorical perception of human female physical attractiveness and health. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2011.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
40
|
Richmond TK, Austin SB, Walls CE, Subramanian SV. The association of body mass index and externally perceived attractiveness across race/ethnicity, gender, and time. J Adolesc Health 2012; 50:74-79.e2. [PMID: 22188837 PMCID: PMC3245633 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2010] [Revised: 05/07/2011] [Accepted: 05/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Being perceived by others as unattractive is associated with negative health and social consequences. Overweight individuals may be more likely to be perceived by others as unattractive, thereby further endangering their well-being. Our objective was to determine whether body mass index (BMI) was associated with perceptions by others regarding attractiveness and whether this relationship was similar across race/ethnicity, gender, and time. METHODS We analyzed Waves I and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative longitudinal study of adolescents. We used participant gender- and race/ethnicity-stratified multinomial logistic regression to examine the association between BMI and interviewer-rated attractiveness (1 = unattractive, 2 = average, 3 = attractive, 4 = very attractive) controlling for participant age, household income, and maternal education. RESULTS BMI was positively associated with risk of being categorized as unattractive (relative to very attractive) by the interviewer in black (Wave I: relative risk ratio [RRR] = 1.26, CI: 1.18, 1.33; Wave III: RRR = 1.14, CI: 1.08, 1.20), Hispanic (Wave I: RRR = 1.23, CI: 1.11, 1.36; Wave III: RRR = 1.22, CI: 1.12, 1.34), and white (Wave I: RRR = 1.25, CI: 1.19, 1.32; Wave III: RRR = 1.22, CI: 1.17, 1.28) females in both waves of data collection. Only in African American females, the risk of being rated unattractive with increasing BMI declined significantly between waves (p = .00018). Trends were similar in males, although the magnitude of risk was smaller and nonsignificant in most groups. CONCLUSIONS Interviewers were more likely to rate those with higher BMIs as unattractive; this finding was similar across gender and racial/ethnic groups with few exceptions and was stable across time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tracy K Richmond
- Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Holliday IE, Longe OA, Thai NJ, Hancock PJB, Tovée MJ. BMI not WHR modulates BOLD fMRI responses in a sub-cortical reward network when participants judge the attractiveness of human female bodies. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27255. [PMID: 22102883 PMCID: PMC3216937 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2011] [Accepted: 10/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In perceptual terms, the human body is a complex 3d shape which has to be interpreted by the observer to judge its attractiveness. Both body mass and shape have been suggested as strong predictors of female attractiveness. Normally body mass and shape co-vary, and it is difficult to differentiate their separate effects. A recent study suggested that altering body mass does not modulate activity in the reward mechanisms of the brain, but shape does. However, using computer generated female body-shaped greyscale images, based on a Principal Component Analysis of female bodies, we were able to construct images which covary with real female body mass (indexed with BMI) and not with body shape (indexed with WHR), and vice versa. Twelve observers (6 male and 6 female) rated these images for attractiveness during an fMRI study. The attractiveness ratings were correlated with changes in BMI and not WHR. Our primary fMRI results demonstrated that in addition to activation in higher visual areas (such as the extrastriate body area), changing BMI also modulated activity in the caudate nucleus, and other parts of the brain reward system. This shows that BMI, not WHR, modulates reward mechanisms in the brain and we infer that this may have important implications for judgements of ideal body size in eating disordered individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian E. Holliday
- Aston Brain Centre, Aston University, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
| | - Olivia A. Longe
- Aston Brain Centre, Aston University, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
| | - N. Jade Thai
- Aston Brain Centre, Aston University, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
| | - Peter J. B. Hancock
- Psychology Department, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Martin J. Tovée
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, England, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Prantl L, Gründl M. Males prefer a larger bust size in women than females themselves: an experimental study on female bodily attractiveness with varying weight, bust size, waist width, hip width, and leg length independently. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2011; 35:693-702. [PMID: 21359983 DOI: 10.1007/s00266-011-9669-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2010] [Accepted: 12/24/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
What determines a female figure as attractive and is there a consensus of both sexes in judging female bodily attractiveness? To answer these questions, an extensive experiment was conducted using high-quality photographic stimulus material, several systematically varied figure parameters (weight, hip width, waist width, bust size, and leg length), and a large sample of 34,000 participants. The results showed that women prefer slightly wider hips, a narrower waist, and longer legs than men (highly significant but small effects). A clear difference was found with regard to the ideal bust size: 40% of men but only 25% of women preferred a large bust. The findings are discussed with respect to the changed role of women in Western industrialized countries who tend to concentrate on their career rather than on reproduction, and the effect of a curvaceous body with a large-sized bust on social perception.
Collapse
|
43
|
George HR, Cornelissen PL, Hancock PJB, Kiviniemi VV, Tovée MJ. Differences in eye-movement patterns between anorexic and control observers when judging body size and attractiveness. Br J Psychol 2011; 102:340-54. [PMID: 21751993 DOI: 10.1348/000712610x524291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Attentional biases may influence the eye-movements made when judging bodies and so alter the visual information sampled when making a judgment. This may lead to an overestimation of body size. We measured the eye-movements made by 16 anorexic observers and 16 age-matched controls when judging body size and attractiveness. We combined behavioural data with a novel eye-movement analysis technique that allowed us to apply spatial statistical techniques to make fine spatial discriminations in the pattern of eye-movements between our observer groups. Our behavioural results show that anorexic observers overestimate body size relative to controls and find bodies with lower body mass indexes more attractive. For both judgments, the controls' fixations centre on the stomach, but the anorexic observers show a much wider fixation pattern extending to encompass additional features such as the prominence of the hip and collar bones. This additional visual information may serve to alter their behavioural judgments towards an overestimation of body size and shift their ideal body size towards a significantly lower value.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H R George
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Department of Psychology, University of York, UK
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
To account for male preferences for female body weight following a consistent socio-economic pattern, Nelson and Morrison (2005) proposed a social-cognitive model based on the individual experience of resource scarcity. We replicated their studies showing that calorific dissatisfaction can influence preference for female body weight using a different dependent variable, namely photographic stimuli of women with known body weight and shape. Using this revised methodology, we found that operationalized intra-individual resource scarcity affects preferences for body weight: 30 hungry male participants preferred figures with a higher body weight and rated as more attractive heavier figures than 31 satiated male participants. Hungrier men were also less likely to be influenced by cues for body shape, supporting extant cross-cultural studies on female physical attractiveness. These findings corroborate those of Nelson and Morrison (2005) and are discussed in terms of how cultural contexts shape individual psychological experience as predicted by the theory of mutual constitution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Viren Swami
- Department of Psychology, University College of London, UK.
| | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Abstract
There is a growing interest in evolutionary models of human adiposity. Frequent reference has been made to 'thrifty genes' or 'thrifty phenotypes', referring to a variety of metabolic or behavioural traits that in one or the other way imply frugality in the expenditure or storage of energy. However, there is confusion over how the strategy of thrift has been incorporated into human biology. At the broadest level, humans represent a thrifty species relative to other mammals, indicating that metabolic adaptations had a crucial role in the emergence of the Homo lineage, in particular in buffering reproduction from ecological stochasticity. In contemporary humans, some variability in adiposity may be attributable to genotypes systematically favoured in certain ecological settings. Genetic variability is also present within populations, and may be considered bet hedging (distributing risk across offspring to increase parental fitness). Bet hedging is an alternative to genetic drift for accounting for genetic variability in the absence of strong selective pressures. Contrasting with genetic variability emerging over the long-term, thrifty phenotypes represent a response to short-term ecological variability. Physiological plasticity allows the emergence of variability across the life course in response to ecological cues experienced directly or by very recent ancestors. Finally, cultural norms or individual preferences allow voluntary behavioural manipulation of thrift in individuals. Overall, there is a range of factors and processes both favouring and opposing thrifty genes, which may reflect moderate bet hedging rather than systematic adaptation. Plasticity protects the genome from selective pressures by tailoring the organism to ongoing ecological conditions. The fact that obesity can occur in different individuals through different genotypes, life histories and behaviours indicates that different treatments are also likely to be required.
Collapse
|
46
|
Brooks R, Shelly JP, Fan J, Zhai L, Chau DKP. Much more than a ratio: multivariate selection on female bodies. J Evol Biol 2010; 23:2238-2248. [PMID: 20840313 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.02088.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Studies of the attractiveness of female bodies have focussed strongly on the waist, hips and bust, but sexual selection operates on whole phenotypes rather than the relative proportions of just two or three body parts. Here, we use body scanners to extract computer-generated images of 96 Chinese women's bodies with all traits unrelated to body shape removed. We first show that Chinese and Australian men and women rate the attractiveness of these bodies the same. We then statistically explore the roles of age, body weight and a range of length and girth measures on ratings of attractiveness. Last, we use nonlinear selection analysis, a statistical approach developed by evolutionary biologists to explore the interacting effects of suites of traits on fitness, to study how body traits interact to determine attractiveness. Established proxies of adiposity and reproductive value, including age, body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio, were all correlated with attractiveness. Nonlinear response surface methods using the original traits consistently outperform all of these indices and ratios, suggesting that indices of youth and abdominal adiposity tell only part of the story of body attractiveness. In particular, our findings draw attention to the importance of integration between abdominal measures, including the bust, and the length and girth of limbs. Our results provide the most comprehensive analysis to date of the effect of body shape and fat deposition on female attractiveness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Brooks
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Cornelissen PL, Hancock PJ, Kiviniemi V, George HR, Tovée MJ. Patterns of eye movements when male and female observers judge female attractiveness, body fat and waist-to-hip ratio. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2009.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
48
|
Smith FG, Jones BC, Welling LL, Little AC, Vukovic J, Main JC, DeBruine LM. Waist–hip ratio predicts women’s preferences for masculine male faces, but not perceptions of men’s trustworthiness. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2009.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
49
|
Donohoe ML, von Hippel W, Brooks RC. Beyond waist–hip ratio: experimental multivariate evidence that average women's torsos are most attractive. Behav Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arp051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
|
50
|
Quantifying female bodily attractiveness by a statistical analysis of body measurements. Plast Reconstr Surg 2009; 123:1064-1071. [PMID: 19319075 DOI: 10.1097/prs.0b013e318199f7a6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To investigate what makes a female figure attractive, an extensive experiment was conducted using high-quality photographic stimulus material and several systematically varied figure parameters. The objective was to predict female bodily attractiveness by using figure measurements. METHODS For generating stimulus material, a frontal-view photograph of a woman with normal body proportions was taken. Using morphing software, 243 variations of this photograph were produced by systematically manipulating the following features: weight, hip width, waist width, bust size, and leg length. More than 34,000 people participated in the web-based experiment and judged the attractiveness of the figures. All of the altered figures were measured (e.g., bust width, underbust width, waist width, hip width, and so on). Based on these measurements, ratios were calculated (e.g., waist-to-hip ratio). A multiple regression analysis was designed to predict the attractiveness rank of a figure by using figure measurements. RESULTS The results show that the attractiveness of a woman's figure may be predicted by using her body measurements. The regression analysis explains a variance of 80 percent. Important predictors are bust-to-underbust ratio, bust-to-waist ratio, waist-to-hip ratio, and an androgyny index (an indicator of a typical female body). CONCLUSIONS The study shows that the attractiveness of a female figure is the result of complex interactions of numerous factors. It affirms the importance of viewing the appearance of a bodily feature in the context of other bodily features when performing preoperative analysis. Based on the standardized beta-weights of the regression model, the relative importance of figure parameters in context of preoperative analysis is discussed.
Collapse
|