(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.
A similar study by Re and Rule (2016b) found that participants preferred facial adiposity levels associated with a BMI of 19.11 kg/m2 for female faces and 23.79 kg/m2 for male faces.
This was a lower BMI than the actual BMI of 39 of the 40 women. The ideal male body set by the men (BMI = 25.9, WHR = 0.87, WCR = 0.74) was very similar to the ideal partner set by the women (BMI = 24.5, WHR = 0.86, WCR = 0.77).
Your body mass index, or BMI, is the relationship between your weight and your height. A BMI of 20-25 is ideal; 25-30 is overweight and over 30 is obese. If your BMI is under 18.5, you're considered underweight. If your BMI is 18.5-20, you're a bit underweight and can't afford to lose more.
If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range. If your BMI is 18.5 to <25, it falls within the healthy weight range. If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range. If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obesity range.
What exactly counts as being "skinny?" Some healthcare experts believe a BMI in the 15-18 range to be clinically underweight. This seems to fall pretty close to what many everyday people consider to be "skinny" with a BMI of 18 or lower frequently listed as the indicator of someone considered to be slim.
Summary. Women tend to prefer men with fit, athletic bodies. These ideal male bodies are significantly leaner and stronger than average, but not as lean and strong as most men wish to be, and certainly not as muscular as most bodybuilders. Think of the bodies of soccer players, rugby players, and mixed martial artists.
Have you already peaked? The American Society of Plastic Surgeons conducted a poll to see when we reach peak attractiveness and apparently it's in your 30s for both men and women. Women are reportedly most attractive at age 30 while men reach peak attractiveness at age 38.
Male-specific factors. Women, on average, tend to be more attracted to men who have a relatively narrow waist, a V-shaped torso, and broad shoulders. Women also tend to be more attracted to men who are taller than they are, and display a high degree of facial symmetry, as well as relatively masculine facial dimorphism.
Research suggests that those with a BMI of 19 to 22 enjoy the greatest longevity.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that for adults, the healthy range for BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is defined as a body mass index of 25 to 29.9, and obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher.
Losing 10 percent of your body weight is impactful: Losing at least 10% of your body weight is clinically-significant. It can lower several risk factors for cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
- In the study, men's desirability peaks at age 50. But women's desirability starts high at age 18 and falls throughout their lifespan.
Men are the strongest between 26 and 35 years of age.
But of course there are individual differences between athletes and some people peak before or after that age window.
Your muscles are their strongest at age 25. At 25, your physical strength is at its peak, and stays this way for the following 10 to 15 years. This trait is among the ones you can improve easiest, with the help of the right workout.
Summary: Research shows women almost universally prefer more muscular, leaner, stronger-looking men to less muscular, fatter, and weaker ones—to a point. In general, the “ideal” male physique to most women means having moderate (not massive) amounts of muscle in the upper and lower body and a low body fat percentage.
It's your face! Thirty-eight percent of gents confessed that this is the first thing they notice about you.
Taking the lead is the chest at 24%, closely followed by hair at 22% and arms at 19%. These preferences suggest the importance of muscles in making a man more attractive. This is supported by the 13% preference for abs and the 9% for the v-cut.
The Skinny on Underweight
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) defines the ideal body mass index (BMI) as between 20 and 25. Thus, anyone below that range would be considered underweight and those with a BMI from 18.5 to 17.5 extremely underweight.
Underweight: Less than 19.1 for women, Less than 20.7 for men. Ideal weight: 19.1 to 25.8 for women, 20.7 to 26.4 for men. Marginally overweight: 25.8 to 27.3 for women, 26.4 to 27.8 for men. Overweight: 27.3 to 32.2 for women, 27.8 to 31.1 for men.
18 or lower: underweight. 18.5 to 24.9: normal, healthy weight. 25 to 29.9: overweight. 30 or higher: obese.
Ideally, your BMI should be between 18.5 and 24.9. A BMI of 25 or over indicates that the person concerned is overweight, while obesity is defined as a BMI of over 30. Someone with a BMI of 20.5 is therefore within the normal weight range (see table).
A normal body mass index (BMI) in adults is between 18.5 to under 24.9, which means that 21 would be considered a normal BMI. However, other factors such as people with a lot of muscle mass or a significant loss of muscle mass would affect their BMI.