Men opting for a liquid lunch ahead of going out to Distortion this evening in search of female companionship are more likely to find themselves attracted to women of the more curvy variety, according to a study done at Westminister University.
And it is not just about big breasts. Hungry men, the report suggests, tend to be more inclined to go for a larger companion when they are in need of nourishment.
Likewise, peckish women at the five-day street festival, which continues in Refshaleøen tonight, are more likely to prefer heftier fellas.
“Hunger changes the perception of what we find attractive,” psychologist Viren Swami said at a recent gathering of scientists.
The reason may be that hungry men and women who are looking for a partner subconsciously choose the one that can nourish them at the moment, which means they may well find their choice less attractive once they tuck into a late-night shwarma.
Empty pockets, bigger boobs
Professor Gareth Leng from Edinburgh University pointed out that the same part of the brain that drives our hunger also controls our sex drive, and that the phenomenon is rooted in an ancient evolutionary instinct that prioritises people who are seen as having better access to food.
Researchers said that a woman’s shape – particularly her chest size – indicated her level of fat reserves.
In the study, 124 men were shown images of five different body shapes and asked to rate them. Half of them had not eaten for six hours and they tended to rate the women with larger chests as significantly more attractive.
The tests also found the less money a man had, the more he liked voluptuous women.
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“If a man is hungry, they prefer slightly larger breasts sizes and a slightly larger woman. If a woman is hungry, they prefer more muscular men,” said Swami.
“These are clues about resources. If you are hungry, you want resources and a partner who has resources. Someone who is heavier has access to food.”
