I just read a really brilliant article on the site Psychology Today which was flagged up by sculptor friend of mine on Facebook, his comment, “Your hips have the same effect on my brain as cocaine!?! This explains a lot!”
The article documents how men are hard wired to find curvy women with a waist proportioned at 60 to 70% of their hip size the most attractive (this was taken from a wide range of studies on men all over the world, including isolated groups not exposed to mass media). Neuroscientist Steven Platek found that viewing a curvier figure lights up the same pleasure centres in mens’ brains as heroin and cocaine! Not a massive surprise to most women I’m guessing…
The part I found most interesting was the suggestion that this programming to find wider hips so alluring is not only associated with the ability to bear more children due to higher survival rates, but also the ability to create more intelligent children.
Even thin women carry about a third of their fat in her legs and hips. Human females carry on average seven times more fat than other animals. In fact according to Psychology today, only bears about to hibernate and whales swimming through arctic waters have similar percentages to a normal healthy human female.
Ever noticed that no matter how much we diet and exercise it is near impossible to shift those stubborn pockets on our hips and thighs, this is not because we aren’t doing it properly, there’s a procreational reason for this fat store protection. Just as human mothers carry more body fat than other mammals, their babies have a brain that is seven times larger – an organ made primarily of water and fat, especially Omega-3 fat or as it is otherwise known DHA. It is no coincidence that our gorgeous fatty-batties are made up of a high percentage of this type of fat. A growing baby needs so much DHA to synthesise the growing nerve cell membranes of its brain that women cannot supply this from their diet alone and need to pull it from their lower body fat storage.
Children born in countries with Omega-3 rich diets, such as Japan and Singapore score higher on international tests of academic ability. Studies also indicate that curvy women, with DHA-rich fat deposits not only produce brainier children, but also have a tendency to a higher IQ and social intelligence levels themselves. Perricone have also found that Omega-3 supplements help maintain plump, youthful skin, what’s not to love!
So next time I find myself looking at a snake-hipped model staring out at me from a fashion mag and heading down that familiarly depressing mind path, “Why don’t I …”, I shall remember this fact. I highly advise reading the full article here >>