I mean, face, height, and neurotypicality are more important, but a man’s body is important.
Based on 69 scanned Chinese male subjects and 25 Caucasian male subjects, the present study showed that the volume height index (VHI) is the most important visual cue to male body attractiveness of young Chinese viewers among the many body ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Study Design and Participants:
- Subjects: The study analyzed 3D scans of 69 Chinese males and 25 Caucasian males, with a range of body mass indexes (BMIs).
- Raters: 43 young Hong Kong Chinese individuals (20 males, 23 females) rated the attractiveness of these scanned images.
- Methodology:
- 3D scans were used to create rotating 3D wire-frame images.
- Raters used a 9-point Likert scale to rate attractiveness.
- The study focused on the relationship between attractiveness ratings and various body measurements and ratios.
- Statistical analyses included correlation analyses, multiple linear regression, and principal component analysis (PCA).
Key Findings:
- Volume Height Index (VHI):
- The VHI (total body volume divided by height) was found to be the most significant predictor of male body attractiveness.
- It accounted for approximately 73% of the variance in attractiveness ratings.
- There was an optimal VHI: around 17.6 lm⁻² for female raters and 18.0 lm⁻² for male raters.
- Attractiveness decreased as VHI deviated from these optimal values.
- Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR):
- An optimal WHR of approximately 0.8 was identified.
- Deviations from this optimal WHR negatively impacted perceived attractiveness.
- Waist-to-Chest Ratio (WCR) and Body Mass Index (BMI):
- WCR had a stronger negative correlation with attractiveness ratings than BMI. Meaning, a smaller waist to chest ratio was more attractive.
- Rater Differences:
- While male and female raters generally agreed on attractiveness, females tended to have slightly higher expectations.
- Other Body Proportions:
- Beyond VHI, other body proportions, such as the relative positions of body parts and the shapes of the waist, chest, and hips, also played a role in perceived attractiveness.
- Principal component analysis revealed that factors related to the appropriateness of overall body proportions, the distribution of horizontal dimensions, and the proportions of the lower torso contributed to attractiveness ratings.