Here's something that everyone knows except those in the fashion industry and the ardent adherents of their myths: men like curves, and thin is not really in.
Fully 80 per cent of men aged 18-50 want a voluptuous woman, according to former model Nancy Hayssen, who has written a book every woman could love based on the title alone: 101 Sexy Secrets: How to Be Hot, Sexy & Beautiful at ANY Size! Another 15 per cent men prefer a woman of average size, while just 5 per cent opt for a super skinny lady. Hmmm.
Twenty years ago, most fashion models were a size 8; today, that's been replaced by an emaciated 0. During those same two decades, the average American woman, who stands 5'4", ballooned from a size 10 to a size 14. Fun fact: A14, which is now considered a "plus size," was approximately sex bomb Marilyn Monroe's dress size.
These findings were echoed in a poll of 4,000 adults conducted by British weekly Grazia to find out the ultimate attractive man and woman. Men overwhelmingly said they are most attracted to women who have curves, rather than skinny women, and prefer brunettes with "long, wavy hair."
Waist-to-Hip Ratio or Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. It measures the proportion by which fat is distributed around the torso. The concept and significance of WHR was first theorised by evolutionary psychologist Dr Devendra Singh at the University of Texas at Austin in 1993.
A WHR of 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men have been shown to correlate strongly with general health and fertility. Women within the 0.7 range have optimal levels of oestrogen and are less susceptible to major diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and ovarian cancers. Men with WHRs around 0.9, similarly, have been shown to be more healthy and fertile with less prostate and testicular cancer.
WHR is considered to be factor in a person's attractiveness. Women with a 0.7 WHR (waist circumference being 70 per cent of the hip circumference) are often rated as more attractive by men regardless of culture, race, religion or ethnicity.
