Much more than a ratio: multivariate selection on female bodies

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Human physical attractiveness
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Previous research on female body attractiveness focused on limited proportions like waist, hips, and bust.
• Sexual selection, however, acts on the entire phenotype, not just isolated body parts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively analyze the effect of overall body shape and fat distribution on female attractiveness.
• To investigate how various body traits interact to determine attractiveness, moving beyond traditional indices.

Main Methods:

• Utilized body scanners to create computer-generated images of 96 Chinese women, isolating body shape.
• Employed nonlinear selection analysis, a method from evolutionary biology, to study trait interactions.
• Assessed attractiveness ratings from Chinese and Australian participants.

Main Results:

• Attractiveness ratings were consistent across Chinese and Australian participants.
• Established measures like body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio correlated with attractiveness.
• Nonlinear response surface methods using original traits outperformed traditional indices, highlighting the importance of integrated body measures.

Conclusions:

• Overall body shape and fat deposition significantly influence female attractiveness.
• The integration of abdominal measures (including bust) with limb length and girth is crucial for attractiveness.
• Traditional indices offer an incomplete understanding of female body attractiveness.