Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Best Female Figure Not an Hourglass
www.livescience.com ^

Posted on 12/03/2008 8:36:45 AM PST by Lucky9teen

An imperfect body might be just what the doctor ordered for women and key to their economic success, an anthropologist now says.

While pop culture seems to worship the hourglass figure for females, with a tiny waist, big boobs and curvy hips à la Marilyn Monroe, this may not be optimal, says Elizabeth Cashdan of the University of Utah.

That's because the hormones that make women physically stronger, more competitive and better able to deal with stress also tend to redistribute fat from the hips to the waist.

So in societies and situations where women are under pressure to procure resources and otherwise bring home the bacon, they may be less likely to have the classic hourglass figure, Cashdan hypothesizes in the December issue of the journal Current Anthropology.

Curve crazy

Until now, scientists (and apparently Western society) thought a curvy figure trumped other body shapes. The idea was based on results from medical studies that suggested a curvy waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 or lower (meaning the waist is significantly narrower than the hips) is associated with higher fertility and lower rates of chronic disease.

In addition, past research has revealed that men prefer a ratio of 0.7 or lower when looking for a mate. The preference makes perfect sense, according to evolutionary psychologists, because the low ratio is a reliable signal of a healthy, fertile woman. Along those lines, Playboy centerfolds tend to have a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.68, Cashdan found.

However, women around the world tend to have larger waist-to-hip ratios (more cylindrical than hourglass-shaped) than is considered optimal by these medical and social standards.

(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: anthropologist; anthropology; culturewar; currentanthropology; damnedintellectuals; elizabethcashdan; female; feminism; figure; sociologist
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-134 next last
To: Hacklehead
According to what?

----------------------------

According to EVERY guy (except maybe one or 2) that I've ever talked to....

Most want a woman with a bit of "meat" on her, something they can grab on to.

41 posted on 12/03/2008 9:00:12 AM PST by Lucky9teen (The only foes that threaten America r the enemies at home; ignorance, superstition and incompetence!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: HamiltonJay
Sophia Loreen at 35 had a drop dead gorgeous body. Hell she still looks good. By todays standards of what Hollywood and Fashion consider beautiful Sophia Loreen would have been considered too fat.

Those girls today look like victims of starvation which they are.

42 posted on 12/03/2008 9:00:25 AM PST by cpdiii (roughneck, oilfield trash and proud of it, geologist, pilot, pharmacist, iconoclast.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Lucky9teen

Pure male bovine excrement.


43 posted on 12/03/2008 9:01:10 AM PST by Psycho_Bunny (By Obama's own reckoning, isn't Lyndon LaRouche more qualified? He's run since the 70's)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Blueflag
"How does a person like that maintain personal sanitation?"


44 posted on 12/03/2008 9:01:16 AM PST by Enterprise (No Presidency for illegal aliens from Kenya.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Melas

> Vargas. Antonio Vargas.

That’s the artist!


45 posted on 12/03/2008 9:01:17 AM PST by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Bobalu

That’s an hourglass figure, with all the sand at the bottom.


46 posted on 12/03/2008 9:01:21 AM PST by caver (Yes, I did crawl out of a hole in the ground.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Lucky9teen
I'm sorry but that's just wrong. Get those hips swinging and watch out. Something’s gotta give.
47 posted on 12/03/2008 9:01:27 AM PST by eggman (Obama's Spread the Wealth will work just as well as Spread the Liabilities (sub-prime mortgages))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Ahnold. Proof that steroid usage causes brain damage.


48 posted on 12/03/2008 9:01:31 AM PST by pgkdan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Lucky9teen

49 posted on 12/03/2008 9:01:41 AM PST by Lancey Howard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lucky9teen
Women seem to come in three basic designs:

Way too thin at 18 - perfect at 40.

Perfect at 18 - considerably overweight at 40.

Soft and flabby at 18 - walrus at 40.

Exceptions made, of course, for the occasional demonstration of willpower in the face of an incredibly challenging dessert. ;)

50 posted on 12/03/2008 9:02:44 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves ("One man's 'magic' is another man's engineering. 'Supernatural' is a null word." -- Robert Heinlein)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: day10
Photobucket
51 posted on 12/03/2008 9:02:52 AM PST by Canedawg (The media is a ass, a idiot.," said Mr. Bumble.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: HamiltonJay

“Biology is at play here folks, I know the feminists don’t like it and want to blame it on environmental conditioning but its just not true.”

Agreed. Besides, it is difficult to identify what possible use this “study” might have other that satisfying someone’s idle curiosity.


52 posted on 12/03/2008 9:03:26 AM PST by Hacklehead (Liberalism is the art of taking what works, breaking it, and then blaming conservatives.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Neoliberalnot

Lots of people still walked to go places then. Or biked. And had to do a lot more physical labor in their work.


53 posted on 12/03/2008 9:03:52 AM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: Blueflag
hmmm, I’m thinking a Y is better than a V for the best male figure ...

You are bad. I would spank you, but you might enjoy it. Go to your room!

54 posted on 12/03/2008 9:05:10 AM PST by Free State Four
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Lucky9teen

Disgusting.

How old are these guys you’re talking to?


55 posted on 12/03/2008 9:05:11 AM PST by Arguendo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: day10
Here, this will help your eyes:
56 posted on 12/03/2008 9:05:51 AM PST by MeanWestTexan (Beware of Obama's Reichstag Fire; Don't permit him to seize emergency powers.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: cpdiii
Sophia Loreen at 35 had a drop dead gorgeous body.

Sophia Loren in "Houseboat" woke up my hormones and got them raging! I can still see her in that gown she was going to wear to the country club dance....ooh la la.

57 posted on 12/03/2008 9:05:59 AM PST by pgkdan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Mamzelle

1962 - Big John

“Every morning at the mine
you could see him arrive.
He stood 6 foot six,
and weighed 295.
Kinda broad at the shoulders,
narrow at the hips,
and everyone knew you didn’t give no lip to
Big Bad John”


58 posted on 12/03/2008 9:06:08 AM PST by jwparkerjr (God Bless America!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Free State Four

I am in my room. Meet me there! HA!

Just kidding ...


59 posted on 12/03/2008 9:06:23 AM PST by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitur)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: Loud Mime

The Professor is cute, too.


60 posted on 12/03/2008 9:06:59 AM PST by PLMerite ("Unarmed, one can only flee from Evil. But Evil isn't overcome by fleeing from it." Jeff Cooper)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-134 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson