What Do Women Really Want? Here are the Physical Traits We Care About (According to Science)
Men, stop the bench presses…you’re focusing on the wrong body parts
Carlyn Beccia
Carlyn Beccia
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Jan 22 · 6 min read
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Artwork: © Carlyn Beccia | www.CarlynBeccia.***

Tons of media attention falls on how women struggle with body image. We worry our stomachs are not flat enough, our butts are not round enough, and our breasts are not perky enough.

But research shows heterosexual men have just as many body insecurities and worry about attracting women. Even more alarming, recent research from the American Addiction Centers found male body dysmorphia (BDD) is on the rise. But unlike the female obsession to be thin, the male fixation on the perfect body goes by a different condition — bigorexia — an unhealthy obsession over building muscle mass.

But while some men scrutinize their muscle mass, women care more about that hunk of cardiac muscle past your sculpted pectorals.

Women (especially of childbearing age) are programmed to choose partners who will be the best parents/providers in our team player equation. This means ladies drop their ovaries when they observe signs a man is kind, reliable, and trustworthy. Whether it is an attacking saber-toothed tiger or unpaid rent, men that abandon their families waste precious eggs. (And will drain our 401k.)

So forget the gym selfies. Here are the physical traits that science says men should really pay attention to.
His finger length predicts his fidelity.

It always amazes me what science will throw research dollars at. P**** size is one. Come on, researchers…there are kids with cancer and seniors forgetting where they put their keys! But alas…men care about p**** size far more than women.

Well, now women finally have a reason to care too.

In a 2011 study, researchers found that the length of a man’s ring finger in relation to the index finger predicts p**** length. Basically, men whose ring finger is longer than their index finger have a longer p**** length. Researchers found babies exposed to higher testosterone levels in the womb grow longer ring fingers and penises. This ring to index finger ratio is known as the “2D:4D” ratio.

Ok, men, stop looking at your hands and focus…there’s more.

In another study, Will your partner stay or stray? Look at finger length, research found men who have a longer ring finger than their index finger are more likely to cheat. This is because men who have higher levels of testosterone exhibit more promiscuity.

But ladies, before you dump your guy for having the wrong digit length, these are only correlation studies. S***** proclivities are far more complicated than the size of his fingers or his um…other body parts.
The bearded guy is a better long term partner

2020 was a rough year for grooming products. Razor sales were down for Proctor & Gamble and Unilever. With nowhere to go, men have not been shaving. But while the razor commercials will try to convince you a clean-shaven man is a keeper, biology says differently.

In a study from The Journal of Evolutionary Biology, women rated men with beards not only as more attractive but as better long-term partners.

The reason behind loving bearded men is a bit contradictory (as is the case with most women.) The study found that women view men with a square, masculine jawline as more masculine, BUT they also viewed these men as better suited for only short-term relationships.

And their womanly intuition is correct (if we are generalizing). A square jawline indicates higher levels of testosterone. And as previously mentioned, men with higher testosterone levels are statistically more likely to cheat.

Basically, your chiseled jawline is sending off f*ck boy vibes. Sorry!

But a beard softens the jawline and makes you appear like the perfect combination of masculine and feminine. This means the bearded dude will make love to you like an animal and then watch Lifetime movies with you afterward. (No, I jest. That guy totally doesn’t exist. But if he did…he would have a beard.)
His armpits calm women down…or not

Ladies, have you ever noticed that when you are in a committed, stable relationship, your menstrual cycle is so predictable you can set your watch by it? You might have thought it was your man’s drama-free support, but there is another reason — his armpit sweat relaxes you.

Researchers have found a man’s armpit contains the highest concentration of pheromones — the odorless chemical substances that affect mate preferences. But pheromones serve another evolutionary purpose.

A woman’s exposure to male pheromones improves her mood and regulates her menstrual cycle. In another Harvard study, male sweat was found to lower women’s stress levels. Now you know why you are sleeping with his sweaty t-shirt when he is gone.

Unfortunately, not all armpit sweat is equal. Armpits have another evolutionary purpose — to diffuse the smells that indicate good health and indicate which men are genetically different.

The genes that women are smelling is the MHC (major histocompatibility locus) genes. These genes indicate which men have compatible immune systems that will give our offspring a superior advantage in combating disease.

In the famous “sweaty t-shirt study,” women were found to prefer men whose MHC genes were different from their own. So guys, keep on doing those bench presses. Just don’t shower afterward.
His eyes really are the window to his soul.

Ever wonder why humans have whites in their eyes while other mammals do not? Pupils do serve a s***** attraction purpose. When either s** is attracted to someone, our pupils dilate. And let’s face it…we tend to like people who like us back.

So if his pupils get larger without the light levels changing, he either likes you or is on drugs. Incidentally, this is another reason to have your date by candlelight — low levels of light cause our pupils to widen and trick our lizard brains into thinking someone adores us.

Eye contact also indicates honesty, but probably not the way you think. As any person trained in lie detection will tell you, when men are lying, they exaggerate eye contact and hold the interrogator’s gaze. (I recently broke up with someone who repeatedly stared me down when lying, and it was creepy.)

And forget that old myth about looking left or right to indicate lying. Studies have found that the direction someone looks isn’t any indication of lying.

But men on dating sites should ditch the sunglasses. Research shows that wearing sunglasses makes you appear less trustworthy. And from an evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense. When we can’t see someone’s eyes, we don’t know if they are about to bludgeon us to death.
His arteries predict his empathy levels.

It’s one of the least asked questions on dating apps — what is your blood pressure? But there is some truth to the old stereotype of people with high blood pressure being insensitive.

In a recent study, researchers found that those with elevated blood pressure were more likely to be emotion blind — they struggle with identifying others’ emotions. In this study, researchers found subjects with a high BP also had a dampened response to emotionally charged scenarios.

So if your man struggles to empathize with you, try cutting out his salt intake.

Although most of this research is based on correlation studies, it’s still fun to see how our bodies might predict behavior. At the very least, men who think they need a chiseled six-pack and broad shoulders to get the girl should relax. You don’t need any of that. You do need to be a kind, loyal, trustworthy, and emotionally mature person.

Because if you are not…we will whip out our blood pressure cuff and sniff your armpits.
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