Men more attracted to heavier women when stressed, study shows

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(CBS News) A new study finds that men prefer heavier women when under stress.

"This suggests that our body size preferences are not innate, but are flexible," said study co-author Martin Tov?e, a neuroscientist at Newcastle University in the U.K., told TIME.

For the study, which was published in PLoS ONE on August 8, researchers looked at 81 white males between the ages of 18 to 42. About half of the group was asked to act like they were in a job interview, and were asked to speak in a microphone and countdown by 13 from 1022, as correctly and as quickly as possible in order to mimic a stressful situation.

Twenty minutes later - in order to correspond to peak response - the men were asked to rank their preferences for female body size using 10 photographs which represented a range of BMIs, from underweight to obese. Each man had to rate the attractiveness of the image on a scale of one to nine - nine being the most attractive - and were asked to pick which image they found the most physically appealing. Then they were asked to rate the largest figure they liked and the thinnest body they liked.

Subjects in the control group quietly waited in a separate room during the interview portion of the experiment, and only were asked to rank the photographs.

The stressed men ranked the heavier women slightly higher in terms of attractiveness. Men who were in the non-stressed group found women who were underweight the most attractive, while men in the stressed group found women who were between underweight and normal weight the most appealing. The researchers also found that the stressed men had a wider range of body sizes that they found attractive. The largest size that was appealing was in the overweight range for the stressed men, while the largest size for the non-stressed men stayed within the normal-weight range.

Researchers say that the study shows that environmental factors may play a role in what people perceive as attractive. For example, when resources are scarce, people find a partner with a heavier body more appealing because they are more fit for their surroundings.

"If you follow people moving from low-resource areas to higher resource-areas, you find their preferences shift over the course of about 18 months. In evolutionary psychology terms, you try to fit your preferences to what works best in a particular environment," Tovee said to the BBC.

However, Steve Gangestad, a professor of psychology at the University of New Mexico, who was not involved with the study, proposed to HealthDay that the stressful situation might have lowered the subject's "social self-esteem."

"Perhaps, then, this is the reason men in that condition were less rejecting of body types that, given Western norms, are generally less preferred," he explained.

The researchers caution that the study does not show if stress affects how women perceive men or how stressed the 41 men really were. Still, they find the subject intriguing because body image issues are so prevalent, and they believe it is important to understand how outside influences can change people's mentality about attractiveness.

"Tovee told HealthDay, "It is also important to understand how stressful changing environmental conditions - such as rapid industrialization in the developing world - may alter peoples' body shape preferences and ideals and the health implications for these changes."

[john92021]

seeing we are doing pop psychology here how about, he doesn't want to add stress with a skinny high maintenance b, wants his mommy or it was getting close to lunch and he was hungry.

[Ulgnud]

I have been under stress at times in my life. I have never preferred some behemoth. I question this article.

[mosieb]

Scottusa, I was thinking the same thing. This article does nothing for the self esteem of less than perfect body women. People actually get paid for this sh*t?

[commenter777]

Men that are under huge amounts of stress prefer watermelons and blow up dolls.

[scottyusa123]

So you have to have low esteem to be attracked to heavy women? Nice. What did this study cost I wonder? Did they figure out that beer does the same thing? Everyone in a bar looks better after a few drinks.

[nohater]

i do them all, port in any storm kind of thing. have noticed that the more unattractive, in any of a variety of ways, the female is a more accomodating lover and less likely to cheat. the unattractive woman is eager to please, steady, and goes the extra mile to please one in the bedroom and otherwise. talking about a port in any storm, not a long term relationship or any defined relationship. more like occasional dating with bedroom activities, great combo. just port in any storm works for me.

[jmca2009]

Remember the Lady in Red scene from Dodgeball? Where the dorky guy falls in love with the obviously scary looking female player?

This study is way off, Men select Women based on many different relative factors, what do I mean? Well, what are the chances of a low performing, unattractive man will try to hit on the hottest chick in the bar... zero, because he knows he doesn't stand a chance. The average male will target a female he feels he has a better likelihood of success with and then describe her as attractive, this is based on previous encounters and his current confidence level. If said male wins a huge payout at the casino as an example he will immediately following that win upgrade his female selections due to his increased confidence. On the flip-side when men are stressed and feeling down, they will aim lower based on what they think they qualify for at that point.

[opedanderson2]

Here's a newsflash! MOST men prefer curvy, heavier women to skinny ones. Period.

Bones are for boys, but meat is for MEN!!

[EmpireGeorge______--]

"only a dog likes a bone" -large black woman on Springer show (lol)

[hypnotoad72]

Interesting...

I do like meatier looking women... (not bodybuilders, but full-figured...)