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Sex and Weight Loss (page 2 of 2)

By Cynthia Dermody

In our survey, 35% of men said they would love to have a body like Brad Pitt’s in the film Troy. Spurred on by images of the hairless, V-shaped Adonis figures in magazines such as Men’s Health, they are increasingly trying to bulk up.

While Western men in countries such as Australia and the US may flock to thinner women (with a BMI of around 21), many Mediterranean men consider larger women with curves extremely desirable. This may explain why Latin American men go gaga over divas with well-endowed bottoms, such as Jennifer Lopez.

For both sexes, the real key to attraction may lie due north. The face is a stronger predictor of sexiness than the body. In a recent study, women thought that a man’s face accounted for nearly half of his overall attractiveness. And for men, the face was an even stronger predictor of sexiness. The theory, according to study author
Marianne Peters of the University of Western Australia: the face reveals intelligence, personality and confidence levels – all things that increase the odds of a great sexual relationship far more than waist size.

Personality counts

If curvy British domestic goddess Nigella Lawson doesn’t think she’s
sexy, she does a good job of fooling us. "She exudes confidence," remarks sociology professor Christie Davies from the UK’s University of Reading. "Her positive attitude to her own appearance is very attractive to male viewers."

Once we get to know a person, non-physical aspects become much more important in long-term relationships and pleasurable sex, says Viren Swami. Yet despite all his studies, he points out, "We’re attracted to different people for different reasons. There’s a part of attraction that should remain shrouded in mystery."

Additional reporting by Kathryn Tyranski and Sophie Mancuso

Sex and Weight Loss (page 2 of 2)

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