Taking the weight-loss conundrum one step further, a team of researchers has revealed the exact kilos you need to drop to look more attractive.
The University of Toronto researchers have determined the amount of weight people need to gain or lose before others notice or find them more attractive.
Women and men of average height need to gain or lose about three and a half and four kilograms, or about eight and nine 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, researcher said Nicholas Rule.
Rule and postdoctoral fellow Daniel Re looked at facial adiposity, the perception of weight in the face, because it is an accurate indicator of a person's body mass index (BMI), which is calculated as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of the person's height in metres (kg/m2).
It is a robust indicator of one's health, said Rule, noting that increased facial adiposity is associated with a compromised immune system, poor cardiovascular function, frequent respiratory infections, and mortality. So, even a small decrease can improve one's health.
The difference between the groups suggests women's facial attractiveness may be more sensitive to changes in weight, said Rule, adding that this just means women attempting to lose weight need to shed slightly fewer pounds than men for people to find them more attractive.
"When it comes to incentives for weight loss, some people are more motivated to look attractive than to improve their health," said Re.
The study appears in Social Psychological and Personality Science.