Both men and women see the male with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and a muscular chest as being more attractive. Gay men especially see a low waist to chest ratio as being attractive. There is some evidence that a normal body mass index versus being overweight is considered more attractive to both genders. Women also prefer a flat abdomen but are less likely to prefer muscular men than is true of men appreciating another man’s musculature or their own musculature. Men who have a large penis see themselves as more satisfied with their appearance. Women, on the other hand, prefer a medium-sized penis for their long-term partner and a larger penis for a one-time sexual encounter. Skin tone preferences vary from culture to culture. Men who work outdoors in the sun tend to be darker so that light skin was considered to be associated with greater wealth. Men with red or yellow skin tones are believed to have better oxygenation and to eat more fruits and vegetables. These are believed by some to be men who are more attractive.
FEMALE ATTRACTIVENESS Heterosexual men are more attractive to body symmetry and younger women. Men play more attention to female attractiveness than women do of male attractiveness. Men prefer a woman’s face that has a high forehead, broad face, small nose, small chin, high cheekbones, smooth skin, wide-set eyes, and full lips. The overall face shape is also considered important. A thick ring around the iris is a sign of youth so this is also considered attractive. A face that is more feminine is considered to be more attractive than a face that is less feminine. Because fertility and youthfulness are considered to be related, younger women are considered to be more attractive and desirable than older women. Older women have higher ratios of testosterone to estrogen, which changes their facial appearances and makes them appear less attractive. All of this makes the desire for a youthful appearance be more prevalent in women of younger and younger ages. There is contradictory evidence as to the desirability of the female breast in terms of its size. While men like the appearance of the female breast, there are differences in 62
