9/13/96
UT psychology professor studies women's
proportions
HAYDEN HEAD/Daily Texan Staff
BRYAN MEALER
Daily Texan Staff
**************
What do Anna Nicole Smith, Naomi Cambell and
Barbie all have in common?
According to Devendra Singh, a UT professor of psychology, they possess the
initial characteristic of beauty most men
seek.
According to Singh, men are most attracted to women with ideal hip-waist
ratios.
Singh has gained international attention for researching women's
hip-to-waist-ratios. By dividing the waist measurement by the hips, Singh
has discovered a trend in what makes men's
heads turn.
Singh said the number is also an indication
of physical health.
"Sixty-five tenths to 0.8 is very healthy,"
said Singh, "0.7 is ideal."
Singh compared the measurements of women's waists to their hips, and after
polling men he determined they preferred women with waist-hip ratios of
0.7.
But he is quick to add that the amount of body fat on a woman should not be
used to judge beauty.
"People have a difficult time looking beyond body weight because the beauty
is in the shape," Singh said,
Evidence has shown that women who have a larger waist-to-hip ratio (smaller
difference between the size of the waist and hips) are at greater risk of
contracting health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and prostate
cancer, Singh said.
The health risks occur in men and women who have more weight in the upper
body, he said.Singh said men generally prefer a thin waist anchored against
a full set of hips. Breast size, legs, face and personality are only
secondary, he said.
Singh attributes this conception to millions of years of evolution in which
men considered wide, voluptuous hips to be a sign of long fertility and
health. But as standards of beauty have changed, and continue to change,
Singh said that the hourglass figure will forever remain the secret of
sexual attraction.
Singh describes how every culture has its
own way of expressing beauty.
Some women, Singh said, wear rings through their noses, some stretch their
necks at birth, others strive for a waif look.
"All cultures have their individual freedom
in saying what is beautiful.
They're all different in their own unique way," said Singh. "But they all
have one thing in common. They know what looks
good in a woman: her shape."
Singh's unusual studies have attracted the attention of news programs such
as Prime Time Live, Good Morning America and Dateline, which have featured
the professor. A British newspaper's headline read: "Professor figures out
the secrets of sexual allure." A slew of science magazines have covered his
studies as well.
In fact, Singh has tested his theory all over the globe. His research has
reached Africa, Hong Kong, India, Azores, Ecuador and Chile to determine if
men across the world favor shape above all
else.
"They do," Singh said. "You know they do."
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