Body fat distribution and obesity have been linked to a new set of genes, according to two studies published online in the October 2010 edition of Nature Genetics. There are 13 gene regions that are linked to body shape and determine whether you store fat at the waist or around your hips. There are 18 more genes linked to an increased predisposition to obesity. Genetics may determine what your body shape will be before you are born, but your attitude toward which body shape you find most attractive may form as early as childhood.
Preferences Form in Childhood
Research published in the September 2002 issue of the Child Study Journal found that body shape preferences begin in early childhood. The study asked 6-year-olds and 10-year-olds from China, Turkey and the United States to rank silhouette images of men and women with different body shapes from most preferred to least preferred. The children favored thin figures but did not choose the very thin shapes. The least preferred were the very obese silhouettes. Cultural differences did affect preference, which was illustrated by the Turkish children choosing heavier female shapes.
Pear Shape
Commonly seen in women, this shape is associated with fat collected around the hips and thighs. Northwestern University researcher Diana Kerwin found a link between the pear shape and memory issues. In the 2010 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, Kerwin found that for pear-shaped women, every one-point increase in BMI equaled a one-point decrease in memory. The cause of the memory problems is yet unknown, but Kerwin says that body fat distributed at the hips may release more cytokines, a hormone that causes inflammation.
Apple Shape
Fat distributed around the waist is considered apple-shaped. According to University of New Mexico exercise scientists Len Kravitz and Vivian Heyward, this body shape is seen predominantly in men and is associated with increased health risks, such as diabetes, heart disease and increased fat in the blood.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio
A 1997 literature review published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences found that waist-to-hip ratio, or WHR, is the chief indication of physical attractiveness. WHR is found by dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement. Men with high WHRs between 0.9 and 1.0 were chosen as the most desirable. Women were preferred to have a low WHR of 0.8. This preference may have a foundation in perceived healthfulness. A 1998 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women with a WHR equal to or larger than 0.9 had an increased risk of high cholesterol, high triglycerides and high blood pressure. This risk was seen regardless of body mass index.
Preferred Body Shape
Body shape preference is not based completely on WHR. The "Personality and Individual Differences" study discovered that overweight figures were deemed the most unattractive, but none of the underweight shapes were considered the most attractive. Men and women of normal weight received the highest scores in attractiveness, healthiness, sexiness and reproduction capability. Body weight had a stronger effect on judgment than body shape. So even if the overweight figures had the preferred WHR, they were still seen as less attractive than the figures that were normal weight.
References
- Journal of American Geriatrics Society: The Cross-Sectional Relationship Between Body Mass Index, Waist--Hip Ratio, and Cognitive Performance in Postmenopausal Women Enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative
- University of New Mexico: Getting a Grip on Body Composition
- Scicasts: Researchers Find Genes Linked to Body Shape and BMI
- Child Study Journal: Male and Female Body Shape Preferences of Young Children in the United States, Mainland China and Turkey
- Personality and Individual Differences: Waist-To-Hip Ratio And Preferences For Body Shape: A Replication And Extension
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Clinical Predictability Of The Waist-To-Hip Ratio In Assessment Of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors In Overweight, Premenopausal Women
Member Comments