When a 2015 study, titled "Perceptions of Perfection," asked 18 female graphic designers from around the world to Photoshop an image of a model to reflect what they felt would make her more attractive, we were surprised to see how much the "perfect body" varied depending on geographic location.
Perceptions Of Perfections Across Borders
What we learned was when it comes to the ideal body, each and every single one of us has a different perspective of what it looks like.
But admit it: a lot of us are drawn to our potential partners by common features like eyes. And hair. And arms. And chests. And butts.
Don't even try to fool us.
So to find what body type and feature men and woman admire most, equipment review site Fitrated.com just released a study that asked 2,017 U.S. respondents their favourite body types and body parts among potential partners.
In the survey, body types are broken up into five categories: "average," "muscular," "curvy," "thin," and "other."
Good news, ladies: men really do appreciate your curves. Among straight men, 28 per cent said a curvy woman was their ideal, while 24.1 per cent of men sought out a thin woman and 3.8 per cent said they preferred a muscular body type.
Gay men opted for muscular partners with 36.1 per cent in favour of bigger dudes, while 26.7 per cent of the respondents said they liked average body types.
As for straight women, it's all about the dad bod, with 41.7 per cent championing average bodies, while 35.8 per cent said they prefer muscular men.
Among gay women, 35.9 per cent selected an average body type as their ideal, while 30.1 per cent preferred a curvier woman.
And it looks like the age-old question for men, "butt or chest?" just got answered, and it's complicated. Among straight men who preferred average and curvy bodies, the chest was the ideal body part. Among men who liked thin women, it was all about the butt.
Gay men who said they liked average and muscular bodies championed the chest, whereas those who liked a thin frame selected the stomach as their favourite feature.
Straight women, however, love a good set of arms. And gay women preferred the chest.
What we really appreciate about this study is the body positive note it finishes on.
"While it’s nice to grab attention, you should love and take care of your body regardless. Working out won’t just give you a better-looking physique, but a confidence that can be just as sexy."