Men 'prefer curvy women to those who are size zero', study claims

Hollywood actresses Scarlett Johansson or Kate Winslet are considered more attractive and healthy-looking than Victoria Beckham or Paris Hilton, Scottish researchers found.
The University of St Andrews study, published in the scientific journal Perception, surveyed a group of students, aged between 18 and 26, were asked to rate photographs of female faces for attractiveness and health.

They concluded that young men rated girls in the “normal” weight range as the most attractive and healthy looking.

The researchers say the findings send a strong message to young women who believe that you need to be underweight to be considered attractive.
“We often remark on how healthy or unhealthy someone looks, but it can be very difficult to say precisely how we know this,” said lead researcher Vinet Coetzee.
“Scientists have been trying to answer this question for decades, and have made many breakthroughs in our understanding of health and attractiveness, but until now they have tended to overlook the influence of weight."

The University's Perception Lab asked 84 female students a variety of questions on their health, took their blood pressure and photographed them.
The photographs were then shown to a group of male students who were asked to rate them for health, attractiveness and weight.

Professor David Perrett added: "A take home message for young people is that maintaining a normal weight benefits current health and will improve good looks.
"In our study, people in the normal weight range were judged healthier and more attractive than under or overweight individuals.
"This sends a strong message to all the girls out there who believe you have to be underweight to be attractive.

“The people making judgments in our study were all between the ages of 18 and 26 and they did not rate underweight girls most attractive.

“They preferred normal weight girls."