Petite, leggy women 'most attractive' to men
19 August 2008
Men are most attracted to small women who have long legs, according to new scientific research.
Short, slim and leggy women such as Scarlett Johansson are a man's ideal body shape, the study by Brunel University revealed.
The perfect women also has a short body, with a large chest and small limbs, explaining the popularity of stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Rachel Weisz
.
Dr William Brown of Brunel, who carried out the study, said: "We found that shorter, slimmer females with long slender limbs and larger breasts are more attractive."
According to the study, these women are more attractive because they have lower "body masculinity".
Their primary features are those which are opposite to the archetypal male – short in height, with long legs and a larger bust – making them more attractive to the opposite sex.
Research reveals that human beings use symmetry as a way of judging a mate's potential.
However, since it is difficult to see body asymmetries with the naked eye, evolution has designed a different way of picking out a perfect mate.
Dr Brown said: "Evolution has instead engineered more conspicuous signals and displays, such as broad shoulders, curvy waist lines or smooth dance moves to indicate mate quality."
