Scientists have discovered which female figure is considered the most attractive.
Woman / © Photo from open sources
For decades, the hourglass silhouette was considered the main standard of beauty, but a new scientific discovery forces a re-examination of male preferences.
This is reported by the Daily Mail.
What the new research showed
Scientists conducted an experiment involving 398 Japanese men aged 20 to 59. Volunteers were asked to rate computer-generated feminine silhouettes, in which body proportions were altered while other features remained constant.
The results showed that the waist-to-bust ratio plays a much larger role in perceived attractiveness than the waist-to-hip ratio, which had been considered a key factor for decades. The most attractive silhouettes for men had a waist-to-bust ratio between 0.6 and 0.7. Figures such as Sabrina Carpenter, Sydney Sweeney, and Katy Perry correspond to this general standard.
“In this study, the waist-to-bust ratio had a greater influence on the attractiveness rating than the waist-to-hip ratio,” the researchers wrote in the journal Japanese Psychological Research.
According to the team of scientists, a larger bust may be a sexual signal indicating fertility or reproductive health. At the same time, the authors suggest that previous studies might have overestimated the importance of hips, as women with larger breasts often have a narrower waist.
Why the ideal figure is rare and how culture influences it
The researchers note that the computer-generated figure considered most attractive by the experiment participants is extremely rare in real life.
“It is known that outside of Japan, to varying degrees, a larger breast size is perceived as more attractive, which also applies to Japan. However, the breast size for a figure with a waist-to-bust ratio of 0.6 is quite large, and such individuals are rarely encountered. It is possible that the standard of attractiveness has been distorted due to the influence of stimuli such as biased media images,” write scientists from Women’s University of Wai.
Experts also warned that the results may differ in other cultures, as preferences are context-dependent.
“I hope people realize that what is considered an ‘attractive’ body shape varies greatly across cultures. In fact, ideal beauty is largely shaped by cultural context, not a fixed universal rule,” noted lead study author Tomohiro Suzuki in a comment to PsyPost.
It is worth noting that the results apply to body shapes within the average weight range, and attractiveness ratings may vary for heavier or thinner body types.
Recall that there are many beliefs that a person’s name can influence their character, destiny, and even personal life. That is why many parents carefully study the meanings of names before naming a child.
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