In October 2013, work by the National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED) showed that most men did indeed prefer thin women, in France at least. But why ? A team of researchers from the University of Aberdeen looked into this question. Their verdict: thinness would be a symbol of youth, fertility and good health.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists analyzed the profile of 1,300 people (men and women), from nine countries including Great Britain and France. During the study, the volunteers had to examine 21 images, which represented different female morphologies. Result: When asked what was the ” ideal body for a woman, the participants mostly chose photos of bodies with a BMI (body mass index) between 17 and 20.
As a reminder, the BMI is calculated as follows: we divide our weight (in kg) by our height (in meters) squared. If the result is less than 18.5, it is lean. Conversely, if it is greater than 25, it is overweight (or even obesity if it exceeds 30).
“These results show two things,” explains Professor John Speakman, lead author of this study. First, that the criteria of beauty tend to harmonize in the world: thinness is recognized as “beautiful” by a majority of people, regardless of their history. Then, by cross-checking, we managed to determine what makes thinness so attractive: for men, it symbolizes youth, therefore good health and fertility, however paradoxical that may seem. We plan to carry out the same work for the male body in the near future. And we can’t wait to see that!
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She has a BMI of 17.5 and she is considered too fat to be a model.
