Looking for an independent woman? Check out her waist
There are a lot of things that go into whether you find a potential mate attractive, but from an anthropological standpoint, a lot can be boiled down to the waist to hip ratio.
This measurement has been touted for a couple of years as an alternative to the body mass index as a measurement of health and the potential for health problems like heart disease and diabetes. The classic hourglass figure is a good example of an ideal waist to hip ratio for health purposes, since a person with that shape would likely have a ratio of 0.7 or less (women are considered at higher risk for health problems starting at 0.8).
This sort of figure makes a woman a good choice for a man interested in breeding, since that lower waist to hip ratio also indicates good health and higher fertility levels than among women with a higher ratio.
Hourglass figures aren’t very resourceful
But new research published in Current Anthropology suggests people who don’t want to have to support their female partner too much should look to women with bigger waist to hip ratios, since those women tend to be more resilient, resourceful, and able to take care of themselves.
Elizabeth Cashdan, an anthropologist at the University of Utah, looked at waist to hip ratios among women in western and non-western countries, and found that an hourglass shape tended to indicate that someone hadn’t had to support themselves and their families by going to work or to find food.
On the other hand, women who were more cylindrical tend to be stronger, more competitive and better able to deal with stress.
As usual, hormones are to blame
Cashdan says the difference is probably increased androgens, hormones like testosterone that cause women to store more fat in their bellies than in their hips. The hormones also make women stronger, more assertive, better able to deal with stress and, potentially, more of an equal partner with their partner.
On average women in her study had a waist to hip ratio of more than 0.8, especially in non-western countries. In places like Greece, Portugal and Japan, where women are still less financially independent than their sisters elsewhere, the hourglass shape is still prevalent, but in places like Britain, where men and women are more equal, men seem to prefer (or at least are OK with) women with bigger waists.
And in some less industrialized countries where women need to work just as hard as men for the family to survive, very large women are prized (which is why Oprah recently joked she was moving to Mauritania).
Certainly there are other issues in play when people choose their mates, but it’s interesting to think about how gaining weight in a particular area of the body might be a signal to others that you’re strong, successful and competitive, not a failure who can’t step away from the Twinkies.
(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)
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Interesting article – but the other side of the coin would imply that men in countries where women have larger waists are most probably less able to bring the home the bacon -(dare I say weaker). I suppose it goes with the image that Southern European men have more testosterone and therefore more able. Therefore their women have been able to spend more time at home with the children and spend less time working. It would also make them (lets call them Latin lovers) first in the pecking order to choose female mates…they are more likely to select an attractive (and hour glass shaped women). This could also explain the general tendency for better looking northern europeans to have a southern european partner. After all if you as a woman had a choice of living in the frozen wastes of Norway or a Tuscan village or sunny Algarve the choice is simple…
What makes you assume that the way to a bigger waist is through twinkies?
That’s just rude.
I don’t agree with Bob’s assertion that Southern European are ‘less able to bring the home the bacon’. Just because, according the theory presented in this article, that women are more independent and stronger in that region doesn’t neccessarily mean that the men in that region is less able compared to men of other regions. I believe that both could be as strong.
Interesting…but kinda patronising. Like POD said, not everyone is fat because they can’t stay away from Twinkies. Some of us aren’t even entirely sure what Twinkies are.
The assuption that western women need to work as hard as men is wrong. Women in Africa actually have more to stress about, they work as hard. They might thought to be more depended since the societies are sexist, but i know one thing for sure, THESE WOMEN WORK HARD ( i have seen this, iam african myself).. but still have low waist to hip ratios….I think there is flaw in this study :) but overall good article!!! I have a big waist, i have stopped envying small waist women lol!!…thanks