Rule and Re found that the average decrease required to make the faces in the sample appear more attractive was 2.38 kg/m2 for women, and 2.59 kg/m2 for men, translating to about 6.3 and 8.2 kilograms (approximately 14 and 18 pounds) for women and men of average height, respectively.
And you won't just look better. “Increased facial fat is associated with a compromised immune system, poor cardiovascular function, frequent respiratory infections, and mortality,” said the study leader Dr Nicholas Rule. Yes, keep off the pounds and you'll attract women and live longer. It's a win-win.
For a weight change to show up on your face, you'd need to change your BMI by 1.33 points, the study found. That means a woman and man of average height would need to gain or lose eight pounds and nine pounds, respectively.
"By the time you hit 10 pounds, your jeans will feel differently, absolutely," Blum says. "Just a little looser. Theoretically, 10 pounds is considered one size." Once you get past that first couple pounds where you might not be able to tell, Blum says, you really do start to lose body fat.
Skin laxity can change after losing about 30 pounds, says Desai. “If you notice changes in larger areas of the body, like arms, abdomens, thighs, and buttocks, you may get that change in the face as well.”
After shedding the pounds, you might notice a smaller waist or a thinner face before the fat melts away from other stubborn areas. But one thing's for sure—losing 30 pounds or more will make a noticeable difference on pretty much anyone's frame, no matter the starting point or the goal weight.
(27) found that the most frequently selected ideal body had a BMI of 19.79, closely followed by an underweight ideal of 18.26. Ahern et al. (28) found that a BMI of 20 was considered the most attractive, while Swami et al. (29), and MacNeill and Best (30), found that an underweight body was most frequently selected.
According to various surveys and studies, women with attractive features usually have a BMI of 19, and men with attractive faces have a BMI of 24. This means their ideal weights for women and men should be 111 and 165 pounds respectively.
On average, a 15 to 20-pound loss (approximately 2 to 5 percent of your starting body weight) is enough to notice "significant changes in your body," he said. You can start seeing differences in yourself as early as two weeks with rapid weight loss.
Losing 5 pounds can make a noticeable difference in an individual's weight, appearance, and overall health. You can experience an improvement in your health, both on an aesthetic and scientific level, even after losing a few pounds.
The first place men typically lose weight is the belly, while women tend to lose weight all over, but hold onto weight in their thighs and hips, Dr. Block explains.
CDC further recommends that you need to lose around 5-10% of your total body weight to notice changes. For instance, if you weigh 170 pounds, you need to lose roughly 8.3-17 pounds to notice a difference. The results should also be measured after at least three months, for certainty.
20% body fat: Muscle definition is not as present and noticeable especially in the abdomen. A man with this level of body fat typically has the “soft” look and has a pouch on his abdomen. 25% body fat: There is almost no separation of muscles, no noticeable veins and no muscle striations.
A perfect face is all about symmetry. Bigger eyes, narrow nose, higher cheekbones, fuller lips and an overall proportionate face is considered to be attractive and supposedly perfect.
But what is it that makes a face pretty and attractive? Different facial cosmetic features can make a face pretty when they come together. Big, alert eyes, a small, proportional nose, perky cheeks, a well-defined jawline, or full lips usually grab people's attention and strike them as beautiful.
Faces that we deem attractive tend to be symmetrical, they find. Attractive faces also are average. In a symmetrical face, the left and right sides look like each other. They're not perfect mirror images.
This is what might politely be called the chubby category, with body mass indexes (a measure of weight for height) of 25 to 30. A woman, for instance, who is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs between 146 and 175 pounds.
Women preferred men closer to 13% body fat, which is still much leaner than average but tends to be healthier and more sustainable. This aligns well with our previous survey results and the overall body of research (study).
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute indicates that a healthy weight for a woman who is 5 feet, 4 inches tall ranges from 110 to 140 pounds with a BMI of 19 to 24. A woman whose BMI score is above 25 falls in the overweight category and 30 and above falls in the obesity category.
Setting a realistic time frame
Generally, most health experts recommend aiming for about 1–3 pounds (0.5–1.4 kg) of weight loss per week, or approximately 1% of your total body weight ( 33 , 34 ). Therefore, it may take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to lose 30 pounds safely.
To put it bluntly: "Women and men of average height need to gain or lose about about 8 and 9 pounds, respectively, for anyone to see it in their face, but they need to lose about twice as much for anyone to find them more attractive," lead author Nicholas Rule told Medical News Today.
At 21 – 23% body fat, you may see a small amount of ab definition, but definitely no six pack. There will be slightly more curves in the legs and buttocks at this range than in the 18 – 20% range.