Hourglass Figures Affect Men's Brains Like a Drug

Yeah, yeah, yeah - I know many of you are going to say "Well duh!! They needed a study to figure this out?!"

What is interesting is just how much men like the shape. Looking at a woman with an hourglass shape evidently acts like a drug in men's brains...

Hourglass Figures Affect Men's Brains Like a Drug

Watching a curvaceous woman can feel like a reward in the brain of men, much as drinking alcohol or taking drugs might, research now reveals.

.....

For instance, "these findings could help further our understanding pornography addiction and related disorders, such as erectile dysfunction in the absence of pornography," he explained. "These findings could also lend to the scientific inquiry about sexual infidelity."

Of course, even one of the scientists admitted they might not have needed a study to know this..

"Hugh Hefner could have told us that by showing us how many zeroes are in his bank account," said researcher Steven Platek, an evolutionary cognitive neuroscientist at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Georgia. "But there's more to it than buying Playboy, Maxim, or FHM."

It is evidently one of those things that is hard wired into men's brains from ages gone by given that it stimulates the "reward centers" the way drugs or alcohol do. I guess its tied in with the urge to "propagate the species".

Interesting thread....

Now tell me. Did they find any male physical characterstics that act like a drug for the female brain?

Personally......I like the broad shoulders

I, for one, never considered myself very visual in my "sexuality" (I just couldn't come up with the word I was looking for....so this one will have to do for now...). I have always "dug" men who had brilliant minds, (or at least SEEMED to, anyways...wink)......but, sister, you DO have a point...nice braod shoulders with a nice, tight rear....hmmmmmm....(well...at least when I was looking and younger.....)

Ciao for now!

(I know this may be off topic and maybe even against some rule....but I have been reading a thread about the possibility we are in a "simulated reality" since early this am.....well...actually a FEW threads on the topic.....even without massive amounts of gear oiling coffee...I am thinking hard on this subject...and a young man's rear....or a woman's hourglass figure was a nice diversion.....)

reply to post by Frogs


I agree with this 100% lol, but there are also women who are beautiful even if they dont maintain this hour glass shape.

Reply to post by Ophiuchus 13

yes- personally I prefer the 2-hour glass shape.....more to love.......hehehe

I have broad shoulders and a nice rear if any hourglasses need to be refilled.....


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reply to post by smyleegrl


Well, interesting that you should ask. They didn't exactly look into that in this study but they did look at women's views of other women and found...

"It turns out women find similar optimally attractive female bodies as attention-grabbing, albeit for different reasons," Platek said. "Women size up other women in an effort to determine their own relative attractiveness and to maintain mate guarding - or, in other words, keep their mate away from optimally designed females."

However, I did a little digging based on your question and found....

Fertile Women Prefer Manly Men

According to this study

Fertile women chose the masculine version of each image 15 percent more often, on average, than women who were not fertile, said lead researcher Anthony Little, a psychologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland. The effect was strongest if they were looking for a short-term partner rather than a long-term one, and if they considered themselves attractive.

This one apparently didn't go into what area of the brain was triggered. However, it did conclude that in their most fertile times women may be attracted to that bodybuilder - but the rest of the time they may want the guy next door...

Men with hard bodies and sculpted jaws may therefore have better genes for producing better babies, so it would make sense for fertile women to be attracted to them.

But masculinity isn't always the bee's knees. As this study illustrates, women tend to prefer more feminine body types when they are less fertile, probably because high levels of testosterone makes men less likely to stay around.

Research suggests that men who are less masculine tend to invest more in relationships, making them more appealing to women who are at the least fertile points in their menstrual cycle--a hormonal profile that mimics that of pregnancy, when mate investment in the relationship is crucial.

This could also explain why women tend to prefer masculine men when they only want a fling.

Female frigidity was a big question back in the 50's and 60's. In the end, the studies blamed the women.

Male erectile dysfunction is the new problem. Seems the studies will again find a way to blame the women.




...It's not really funny, I know. We're looking at overlapping pandemics here, with genetic mutations that are being passed on. But nobody wants to tell the truth, so all the studies end up playing the same refrain, variations on the theme of "Personal Responsibility in Health." Pah.

reply to post by smyleegrl


There is smyleegrl, lol I guess you just gotta get to know that specific man on a more personal level and im sure you will react to it like a drug SMH this is funny. but reproduction IS VERY IMPORTANT.

Good. Now maybe marketers will quit editing their photos to make curvaceous women look like 14 year old boys with straight hips. It's NOT attractive.

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It's as ridiculous as making a man shorter, fatter, and narrowing his shoulders in Photoshop. That type of editing is unnatural and unappealing.

reply to post by AshleyD


I agree AshleyD. It doesent make sense to me why companies photoshop natural beauty like who are they trying to appeal too smh? And it has to be hard on some women who have beauty complex issues as they try and obtain that photo shoped body which is not that sexy at all LOOKING LIKE THE FEMALS DONT EAT AT ALL SHAME INDEED.

I watched on Discovery channel one time where they did a series on sex and the human nature. What they found out by studying tribal cultures was that men were automatically attracted to women with a shapely body especially women who had wide hips and well proportioned breasts. It had to do with reproduction. In the the subconscious, the brain tells a man that this woman is ready to have offspring and the urge to comply is almost overwhelming in the man. Another thing they discovered was that weight had a lot to do with it. Men tended to refuse to bond with underweight women or pale women because the subconscious told them they were unhealthy and could not reproduce healthy offspring. The last thing had to do with facial appearance. If the women possessed similar features to the mother of the male it was like a green light. It could be something as simple as a woman's eyes, lips, hair color, etc. Also the need for the man to have a "cave" where the woman was a good caretaker played an important role for the man and was almost as important as her looks. When both features and ability to care were combined, it tended to exclude other competitor women who lacked one or the other.

For women, what they found out was that women tended to be attracted to strong men. This was divided into three distinct categories. A man who was physically manly. A man who was intellectually superior. Or a man who was powerful by means, like political, economical, or executive. The idea was that women looked for security and strength. The subconscious was telling her that "if" they produced offspring, they could survive and dominate.

On women, it was also found that a genetic scent is produced in glands under the arms and also in sweat glands that some men are extremely attracted to and tell the male subconscious of a good genetic match. The theory also states that this is the reason for perfumes used by women. Women also tended to choose men depending on the time of her monthly cycle. When she is shedding (I use the term for respectful purposes so as to not be rude) she will choose a "companion", friend. When she is in ovulation" she will seek out a manly man.

Lastly, men were almost instantly turned off by overweight and obese women due to the subconscious telling them no. That the woman is pregnant and unavailable. There were some other minor factors about health, but it was a red light meaning stop, do not pursue.

So there is my take on what the Discovery channel had produced. I forget the name of the series but it was all about human sexuality. If you come across it, it is a good series to watch about human understanding.

reply to post by AshleyD


Honestly, I have to agree with you. I'm not sure how whole idea of a "stick figure" being ideal shape for a woman came about - but I like the "natural look" myself.

I know fashion and society have presented various women's shapes as "the look" over the ages. I don't know why they keep going away from what (it appears) we are wired to like.

reply to post by Ophiuchus 13


Here's my ultimate favorite. It created huge controversy and may lead to some anti-photoshopping laws/disclaimers. Her hips and waist are smaller than her head! Invasion of the insectoids.

reply to post by AshleyD


Now thats gross! No discriminaion for whoever likes that but its just not a sexy look for me atleast, her waist looks unreal.

reply to post by Ophiuchus 13


Agreed by me at least. In my opinion instead of making her attractive they have made her look abnormal or seriously ill. Its a really weird shape they gave her..almost like an elongated "V"..well in the bottom picture anyway. In the top picture its like they were going for a "i" shape with an extra big dot on top.

reply to post by smyleegrl


I have the broad shoulders!!

Plus women seem to go crazy over my hair and baby face



I am 19 btw

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Yeah, I think a NATURAL sleek figure is very attractive. I have a slight preference for curvaceous but sleek is very beautiful as well.

I guess when it becomes unattractive is when the natural shape is misleadingly morphed into another. Especially when the editing result makes the model look non human.

If a model is naturally sleek and they use her for that reason, that is perfectly fine. It's when they use a beautiful, curvy woman and crop her down to an insect.

Just wanting to clarify in case it looks like I was slamming naturally slender woman because I happen to find that beautiful. It's just the grotesque editing that is disgusting.

Really, one could sum up this thread just by saying natural is good, unnatural is bad.

Even though I have little relationship experience and can't read women at all, I'd say it comes down to:

Intelligence, Fitness, Disposition, and Happiness.

or am I leaving or adding something? Help me out here, ladies lol

Originally posted by AshleyD
Good. Now maybe marketers will quit editing their photos to make curvaceous women look like 14 year old boys with straight hips. It's NOT attractive.

One does not need to be full figured either to be considered having an hour glass figure.

I have always been very slim, but even when I turned about 11 years old, I had an hourglass figure. The "hourglass figure" came about because some women have small waists compared to the bust and hips.

Since I wear a size 6, it's extremely difficult to find clothing to fit my figure. Well, maybe because I am older and absolutely hate low rise jeans, but finding clothes that actually fit my waist, along with my hips is hard to do!






[edit on 24-2-2010 by Blanca Rose]

Originally posted by smyleegrl
Personally......I like the broad shoulders

YES!!! IM IN!!!!

I am an absolute sucker for curves.......it is a drug I think, I just love women with shape. Im so not into any stick insects....they just arent womanly