Fat people are seen as more interested in long-term relationships, study shows

While many daters are desperate for love, others like to play the field and settle for short-term relationships.

Now, a new study has revealed how your weight affects people’s perception of your dating intentions.

Researchers at the University of Arkansas claim that fat people are more interested in long-term relationships, while slim people prefer to flirt.

University of Arkansas researchers claim that fat people are more interested in long-term relationships, while slim people seem to prefer flirting (stock image)

A group of 295 participants were shown four male and four female computer-generated bodies that had either high or low fat content, and either small or large muscles or breasts.

In the study, the team sought to understand how our physical features inferred our mating preferences.

‘Adiposity’ [being overweight]a traditionally unattractive trait, implies parental competence that could imply that individuals prefer long-term mating strategies (LTM) that emphasize monogamy and biparental investments,” the researchers wrote in their study, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships†

“This study examined how such body features shape perceptions of mating orientations.”

A group of 295 participants were shown four male and four female computer-generated bodies that had either high or low fat content, and either small or large muscles or breasts.

After looking at each image, participants were asked to rate whether they thought the person would be interested in long-term or short-term relationships.

The results showed that participants rated the fat women and men as more prone to long-term relationships than slim women and lean men.

Meanwhile, women with larger breasts and men with larger muscles were rated as more likely to want a short-term relationship than those with smaller breasts or muscles.

Speak with PsyPostMitch Brown, lead author of the study, said: ‘We stereotype people’s mating interests based on how we expect their bodies to form their self-perception.

“If you consider yourself highly attractive, you may feel that you are more likely to adopt short-term sexual strategies because of the greater chance of success.

‘Large muscles and breasts are attractive to men and women, so these characteristics should lead the observers to view these characteristics as a diagnosis of interest in a short-term strategy.

“Conversely, because of the heuristic association with parental ability and body fat, in addition to the perception of body fat as less desirable for a one-night stand, participants viewed higher levels of fat as a sign of interest in long-term mating.”

The researchers emphasize that different body fat distributions can influence the results.

For example, previous studies have shown that women with more weight on their stomachs are stigmatized more than women with fat on their hips, thighs and buttocks.

“Future research should take into account targets’ propensity for infidelity, partner monitoring, or the specific type of parental investment they would have (there are many other options for future employment),” explained Brown.

“I would also encourage a discussion about which muscles are most important for this assessment in men (e.g. pure upper body or all over) and how different fat deposits in the women’s body might shape perceptions (e.g. comparing apple and pear shapes).”

Kim Kardashian’s hourglass figure is more damaging to women’s body image than Kate Moss’ thin frame, study claims

Kim Kardashian (pictured) exemplifies a woman with the ‘slim-fat’ or ‘hourglass’ body ideal – which researchers say is ‘characterized by a big butt and thighs and a small waist and a flat stomach’

Kim Kardashian’s hourglass figure is more damaging to women’s body image than Kate Moss’ thin frame, a new study claims.

Researchers in Canada showed women Instagram photos of either “slim-fat,” “thin” or “fit-ideal” body types.

Slim fat or “hourglass,” as seen in Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Beyoncé, is characterized by “a big butt and thighs and a small waist and a flat stomach.”

Meanwhile, ‘thin’ describes slim shapes with flat bellies and small waists, like Kate Moss, and ‘fit’ describes more toned and athletic female physique.

The researchers found that women exposed to “slim-fat” photos experienced greater dissatisfaction with their own weight and appearance.

It is thought that women with a ‘slim-fat’ body have become much more common in Western culture in recent years, thanks in part to social media.

But the pressure young women feel to achieve such a physique can be even more damaging than society’s pressure to be ultra-thin.