Abstract
Differences in preferences for body size between cultures are well
documented. A well known explanation is that differences are a result of
psychological adaptation to local environments. Since the optimal body
size (often measured as Body Mass Index/BMI, weight divided by squared
height kg/m2) for health differs between areas, the
attractiveness and health judgements should also be different. Until
now, no study has directly tested whether the difference in
attractiveness perception is accompanied by a difference in health
perception. In the current study, we compared the attractiveness and
health judgements of male and female bodies varying in BMI and
muscularity between British and Chinese participants. Since the health
risks are greater for Chinese than British individuals with increasing
BMI, one may expect Chinese participants to perceive a lower BMI as more
attractive and healthier than British participants. Analyses showed
that, although the Chinese participants preferred thinner partners
compared to their British counterparts, there was no difference in the
health judgements made by Chinese and British participants. Moreover,
the male and female bodies that were seen as most attractive were
thinner than those perceived as most healthy by Chinese participants.
These findings challenge the adaptation account that people adjust their
mate preferences to match what is most healthy in local environments.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Current Psychology |
Volume | First Online |
Early online date | 1 Oct 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 1 Oct 2022 |
Keywords
- Attractiveness
- Health
- Adaptation
- China
- Britain
- BMI
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Preferred and perceived healthiest body size and muscularity
Lei, X. (Creator), Mendeley Data, 2020
Dataset