A new study suggests that curvier women could be more
intelligent than skinnier peers, and even their children are
smarter, according to the magazine Evolution and Human
Behaviour quoted by media reports Wednesday.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the University
of California at Santa Barbara looked at data from a study of more
than 16,000 women and girls from 1988 to 1994 that detailed their
body measurements, as well as their education level and their
scores on various cognitive tests.
The conclusion is that the bigger the difference between a
women's waist and her hips, the smarter she will be.
Researchers say that the fat on a woman's hips and thighs have
Omega-3 fatty acids. The larger your hip area, the more of these
fatty acids, which have been recognized for their brain boosting
power.
The fat surrounding women's waist holds omega-6 fatty acids,
which are not of so much importance in the development of the
brain. Waist fat can also be a major factor in causing diabetes and
heart diseases.
And when it comes to the opposite sex. Other studies have shown
that men in western countries are more attracted to women with
large hips and small waists because they believe they'll be better
at bearing children.
However, the differences in cognitive ability that the
researchers found were small - on average between 3.6 percent and 7
percent in women with different waist-to-hip ratios, depending on
the measure being used.
Because of this, even scientists who call the study intriguing
say it would be a mistake to over interpret the findings to mean
that just because a woman has a curvy figure, she's smarter.
(Agencies via Xinhua November 14, 2007)