Why are men attracted to women's butts? Scientists have explained this too
Female buttocks are not only one of the signs of physical attractiveness. According to research, interest in them may be the result of millions of years of evolution. Scientists suggest that the shape and size of this body part could have served as a signal of health, the ability to carry a child, and fat reserves necessary for the development of a baby's brain. Biology Insights introduces the details.
Photo: Thomas Eder / Vecteezy
Humans are the only primates with such developed and distinct gluteal muscles. This is no accident. When our ancestors transitioned to bipedalism, the gluteus maximus significantly increased in size. It helped maintain balance, stabilize the pelvis, control torso posture, and provided strength for prolonged running, digging, and throwing objects.
Thus, well-developed buttocks were not just a feature of appearance, but an indicator of physical strength and endurance. Studies of the skeletons of early human ancestors show that even Australopithecus already had a pelvic structure and gluteal muscle attachment points adapted for such loads.
Lumbar Curve that Helped Carry Children
As for women, a specific curve in the lower part of the spine might have been one of the factors in partner selection. In one study, scientists determined that a lumbar curve angle of approximately 45 degrees is precisely the indicator that men consistently evaluate as most attractive.
However, this is not just an aesthetic feature. During pregnancy, such a curve allows for better distribution of body weight, shifting the center of gravity backward. This significantly reduces the load on the lower back, allowing a woman to remain active even in the late stages of pregnancy.
From an evolutionary perspective, women with such anatomy had a better chance of successfully carrying several children without traumatic consequences for their back, and men who preferred such partners had a greater chance of leaving descendants.
Fat on Hips — Reserve for Child's Brain Development
Fat accumulated in the hip and buttock area is biochemically different from abdominal fat. It is rich in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, primarily DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) of the omega-3 class, which makes up about 20% of the dry weight of the human brain.
The body preserves these fat reserves and hardly uses them until the last months of pregnancy and the breastfeeding period. It is then that the baby's brain develops most intensively. According to research, 60% to 80% of the fats needed for a baby's brain development enter breast milk from the mother's fat reserves, not from the food she consumes at that time.
At the same time, a large amount of fat in the abdominal area, on the contrary, inhibits the work of an enzyme that helps the body produce fatty acids necessary for brain development. Therefore, not only the total fat content is important, but also where it accumulates.
Why Waist and Hip Proportions are Important
For many decades, researchers have studied which female body proportions are most attractive to men. In various cultures, the most attractive figure is considered to be one in which the waist circumference is approximately 70% of the hip circumference.
Such proportions are associated with higher estrogen levels, better fertility, and a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hormonal disorders.
A narrow waist can also serve as a kind of signal that a woman is not pregnant, while wide hips facilitate carrying a child and maintain body stability.
However, these preferences can change depending on living conditions. In regions where people often face food shortages, fuller figures are more highly valued, as they may indicate sufficient energy reserves.
A Man's Brain Instantly Notices the Buttocks
Studies using eye-tracking technology have shown that men notice attractive parts of the female body literally in the first fractions of a second.
When participants in experiments named buttocks as their main preference, their first glance was most often directed there. Before making a final assessment, the gaze also returned to the same area.
Neuroscience explains this by the activation of reward centers in the brain upon seeing attractive individuals — the same systems that respond to delicious food or pleasant music. This happens automatically and does not require conscious decision.
Culture Changes Standards, But Not Biology
Although biological mechanisms formed a very long time ago, society constantly reinterprets which shapes it considers fashionable.
Throughout most of the late 20th century, slender figures with subtle curves were in fashion. However, in the 21st century, more pronounced shapes gained increasing popularity, which initially became characteristic of Black and Latin American communities, and then spread worldwide.
These changes are also evidenced by the rise in the number of plastic surgeries for body contouring. Over the past decade and a half, their number has more than doubled, and buttock augmentation surgeries have become so widespread that they have received a separate category in international statistics.
Moreover, studies of various peoples show that the preference for more pronounced buttocks is found in many cultures independently of each other. This indicates that such a preference has not only cultural but also evolutionary roots.