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By Melissa Matthews
Science Writer
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What makes a man attractive to women? While there are a few subjective traits, a preference for brunettes over blondes, for example, it seems that females collectively agree on two things. The first? Men should be lean. And the second is they should be able to reach items from the top shelf.
Related: Women are Better Athletes Than Men, Study About Gender Fitness Says
Men have long pondered what women want, and researchers from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, sought answers about the traits females find most attractive, reports the U.K.-based Independent.
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A survey of 150 women revealed that a man's attractiveness came down to perceived strength, height and a lean body type. Researchers determined this with an experiment showing full-length images of various males to women. The raters then ranked physical strength and attractiveness.
Overwhelmingly, women thought the strongest men were also the best-looking. They also had a preference for tall, lean guys.
The reason, it seems, isn't purely physical. Researchers believe that these preferences are tied to survival.
"Modern women, therefore, should have mate choice mechanisms that respond to ancestral cues of a man's fighting ability. One crucial component of a man's ability to fight is his upper body strength," the authors wrote.
A post shared by Chris Saballos (@iamsaballos) on Nov 30, 2017 at 3:05pm PST
Past research has shown that women really are attracted to men who have features associated with survival or virility. One study found that women were attracted to men with beards. The researchers note that facial hair could convey a sense of dominance and also cover any signs of health problems. But while beards may be a popular trend, the study indicated that ladies only wanted to pair up with bearded bros in the short-term.
While females might like facial hair, a study from 2007 indicated that they had a far different opinion when it comes to body hair. In that research, women ranked men with very little or no hair on their chests as the most appealing.
Other studies have shown that a woman's taste might reflect female health rather than that of the male. In 2005, scientists discovered that ovulating females were more attracted to men who weren't their partners. Another recent study took the world by surprise: researchers determined that women may have a preference for balding men as it makes them look more dominant, according to a report in the Independent. So if you're not tall and strong, it might not be a bad time to start losing your hair.
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