Science Says This Body Type Is Most Attractive To Women
You have a type, right? You know what kind of man gets your gears going. Turns out, researchers know all about it and have made it official, scientifically speaking.
A totally unnecessary study was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Their conclusion was that women like strong, muscular guys. Here's how they arrived at that shocking result: A group of 160 women were asked to judge the attractiveness of men's bodies — in photos, faces obscured — on a scale of 1 to 7. Approximately zero... wait, who are we kidding? Exactly zero women found the weaker-looking men more attractive (via The Washington Post). All the women picked the fittest specimens as the most desirable.
It turns out that how strong the men appeared aligned nicely with their actual strength. Part of the study was using weightlifting machines, grip strength tests, and other means to determine their physical strength. The women judges were able to weed out the stronger men from the weaker ones just by closely examining the photos.
While the study may seem to be pointless at first glance, the researchers say it supports something else that humankind has known for a while, going back to our ancestry. A muscular body indicates that a man is healthy and strong, which allows him to protect and provide for his family. The reason for women's preference for male bodies might simply be evolutionary.
Scientists know exactly which male body rocks your world
Holly Dunsworth, an anthropologist at the University of Rhode Island, is a bit critical of the study, saying the results may not be universal. The women judges were college-age, as were the model men. Younger people may be less inclined to consider other factors when evaluating a person's attractiveness, she suggests.
Other researchers chime in by saying that the male body type we value in American society today — tall, lean, with well-chiseled upper bodies — has more to do with culture than evolution. In the past, before manufacturing took hold, thicker torsos were more valued due to the manual labor that was performed.
The team that published the original study plans on taking their research around the globe. Other cultures and societies may just have a different idea of what makes a man attractive.