Visual cues to female physical attractiveness

Evolutionary psychology suggests that a woman's sexual attractiveness is ba sed on cues of health and reproductive potential. In recent years, research has focused on the ratio of the width of the waist to the width of the hip s (the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)). A low WHR (i.e. a curvaceous body) is bel ieved to correspond to the optimal fat distribution for high fertility, and so this shape should be highly attractive. In this paper we present eviden ce that weight scaled for height (the body mass index (BMI)) is the primary determinant of sexual attractiveness rather than WHR. BMI is also strongly linked to health and reproductive potential. Furthermore, we show how cova riation of apparent BMI and WHR in previous studies led to the overestimati on of the importance of WHR in the perception of female attractiveness. Fin ally, we show how visual cues, such as the perimeter-area ratio (PAR), can provide an accurate and reliable index of an individual's BMI and could be used by an observer to differentiate between potential partners.