145 Waist-to-Hip Ratio

A preference for a particular ratio of waist size to hip size in men and women.

• The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a significant factor in determining the attractiveness of people and anthropomorphic objects.

• WHR is primarily a function of testosterone and estrogen levels, and therefore serves as a biological signal of reproductive potential.

• WHR is calculated by dividing the circumference of the waist by the circumference of the hips.

• Men prefer women with a WHR between 0.67–0.80. Women prefer men with a WHR between 0.85–0.95.

• Consider WHR when depicting attractive people and anthropomorphic objects. Feminize objects by making their WHRs approximate 0.7 and masculinize objects by making their WHRs approximate 0.9.

See Also Anthropomorphism • Attractiveness Bias Baby-Face Bias • Supernormal Stimulus

When asked to pick the most attractive bodies, people favored female A and male C, corresponding to WHRs of 0.70 and .90.

Mannequins have changed with the times, but their WHRs have been 0.70 for women and 0.90 for men for over five decades.