Curvy women are more attractive: Study says curves define attractiveness rather than the waist-to-hip ratio

A new study shines light on a new beauty parameter that suggests the perceived attractiveness of a woman’s body depends more on the curves.

Female body attractiveness is a contentious topic with different perspectives. This leaves everyone confused and lingering around the perpetual question of what’s considered beauty. Traditionally, for female beauty, the golden ratio is applied for symmetrical facial aesthetics, while for body attractiveness, the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), which is a measure of the circumference of the waist divided by the circumference of the hips, is employed. However, a study published in Scientific Reports revealed that the curves play a greater role in beauty perception than adherence to the waist-to-hip ratio.

Attractiveness goes beyond the traditional hour-glass body shape. (Pexels)

Beauty in proportion

The answer to the ever-puzzling question of female beauty is often sought in balance and proportion, making it a standard criterion for beauty evaluation. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is all about balancing the proportions of the body's contours. A lower WHR, around 0.7, is linked to higher attractiveness - it’s basically the typical hourglass figure with a cinched waist and a voluminous upper and lower body. Evolutionary psychology suggests that this ratio may serve as a visual cue for health and fertility. These are the qualities that may unconsciously appeal to potential mates. However, the study expands on this idea, believing that the waist-to-hip ratio alone is too simple to quantify attractiveness.

Understanding currves as a beauty metric

 

Curves as a beauty parameter makes the concept of beauty more inclusive.(Shutterstock)

Curves go beyond just waist and hip measurements. To understand this, the researchers examined 80 male students from a German university. They were asked to rate the attractiveness of 12-line drawings depicting different body shapes.

The findings showed that curves are a better and more reliable indicator of attractiveness for larger body shapes. This indicates that the standard beauty assessor, WHR, may not be universally applicable for all body types. Even though a 0.7 WHR measurement is still considered attractive for slender figures, curves become increasingly essential as an attractiveness metric as body shapes move beyond the regular, slender frames. Curves are more inclusive and reshape the perception of beauty, transcending conventional beauty norms like the 0.7 WHR. So scientifically, if it is seen as beauty, it’s time to realign body image so curvy-bodied women, too, feel attractive.