I have met very few females that are 100% comfortable with their bodies. Everyone from movie stars to supermodels to Jane the Plumber has some sort of flaw—real or imagined—that they are sensitive about.
A recent study conducted by Australian and Hong Kong scientists (and published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology) does not exactly give a warm fuzzy feeling to those of us with the stomach flab that never quite bounced back after having a baby, facial hair, knobby knees, short stature, no butt, or any other perceived imperfection you can imagine.
Nope, the ideal woman is young, tall, and long-armed.
I’m freaking screwed.
“Physical attractiveness is an important determining factor for evolutionary, social, and economic success,” said lead author Robert Brooks from the University of New South Wales. “The dimensions of someone’s body can tell observers if that person is suitable as a potential mate, a long term partner, or perhaps the threat they pose as a sexual competitor.”
It’s interesting how evolution has been dragged into this along with the notion that Darwin’s idea of natural selection extends to the purely physical. And perhaps not entirely surprisingly, that mindset has led to a look at torso, waist, bust, and hip measurements—it’s all about childbearing, don’t you know?
The women used as “models” were Chinese women between 20-49, quite an age gap when you think …