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was fi rst theorised by psychologist
Devendra Singh in 1993, who argued
that the WHR was a consistent
oestrogen marker.
Some researchers have found that
the waist-hip ratio is a signifi cant
measure of female attractiveness,
although this has been found to be
dependent on cultural values. Women
with a 0.7 WHR are usually rated as
more attractive by men from European
cultures, while China favours a WHR
of 0.6 which rose to 0.8 or 0.9 in parts
of South America and Africa.
However, the attractiveness of
the hourglass fi gure holds true across
countries and cultures. Research shows.
Men across the world can all agree –
from the UK, Cameroon, Germany
and China, to New Zealand. German
research released last year indicated an
hourglass fi gure to be more attractive
than even athletic types or long-legged,
big-chested ‘Barbies’.
It is thought that a small waist-to-hip
ratio is equated in the mind with good
health and high fertility. ‘It is likely
that perfect 0.7 ratio sends a biological
signal to men that this woman is most
fertile and most likely to produce a
healthy offspring, no matter what size
that woman is,’ says Dr Dixson. ‘It is all
about the distribution of fat which is
directly linked to fertility.’
In fact, it looks like we’re all
encouraged to celebrate our curvy
bits according to the research data.
Dr Dixson says men were wasting
their time pumping iron in the gym
because women have indicated they
invariably prefer a leaner, less
muscle-bound physique.
‘On a biological level, women
are more likely to pick a leaner,
even slightly more effeminate man as
they equate those physical traits with
being more caring and gentle and
therefore a better prospect as a partner,’
he explains. ‘Humans simply do not
mate randomly.’MATHEMATICS
OF BEAUTY
Could being attractive be less in the eye
of the beholder and more to do with a
mathematical equation involving our
waist and hip measurements?
It’s human nature to want to
know whether we’re attractive and
how we can make ourselves more
appealing. But a new study suggests
that to sum our real assets all we need
to do is an easy sum.
So perhaps beauty isn’t in the eye of
the beholder, it comes down the far less
subjective mathematical equation.
It has been found a woman’s
attractiveness relates to the size of
her waist compared with her hips.
Scientists have discovered the ratio
they say makes for the perfect fi gure.
A waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of 0.7,
or a waist measurement at 70 per
cent of the hip circumference, is the
magic number.
New Zealand anthropologist
Barnaby Dixson set out to fi nd what
makes a woman attractive to men. A
group of volunteers were presented
with various pictures of a woman in
which her bust, waist and hips had
been digitally altered and asked to rate
the image for attractiveness. Infra-red
cameras tracked their eyes as they
looked at the photos.
Although most were initially drawn
to the woman’s cleavage, her hips and
waist were key to attraction.
Perennially curvy beauties like
Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Jessica
Alba and Victoria’s Secret model
Alessandra Ambrosio are all examples
of the perfect ratio. Interestingly
though, it isn’t a ratio dependent on
curves or lack there of, it’s all simply
proportion of the waist to hips. (So
interestingly waif-like Kate Moss also
matches up to the ideal WHR of 0.7.
The concept and signifi cance of
WHR as an indicator of attractiveness