Bodily Attractiveness as a Window to Women’s Fertility and Reproductive Value

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine, from an ultimate perspective, how and why various bodily traits—leg length, foot size, breast size, body shape (waist-to-hip ratio), and body size (body mass index)—affect judgments of female attractiveness. Bodily trait values associated with optimal health and reproductive profiles are generally considered attractive across cultures and time periods, yet some traits may showcase certain classes of information better than others. Namely, bodily traits appear to better convey a woman’s immediate fertility, while facial traits may better convey her reproductive value. Consistent with this premise, we review research demonstrating a perceptual tendency for men to preferentially attend to women’s bodies in short-term mating contexts but not long-term mating contexts. Finally, we suggest future directions that promise to spur research on the asymmetrical abilities of facial and bodily traits to reveal key information pertaining to women’s reproductive condition.