What the perfect male and female butt looks like, according to science – and it’s all about waist-to-hip ratio

Plastic surgeons have revealed which type of rear end Americans find most attractive.

The findings, from two studies published in an academic journal, show that size is not the most important factor when it comes to an aesthetically pleasing derriere in women, despite the ‘Kardashian effect’ on beauty standards.

In one study, conducted by surgeons at Loma Linda University in California, experts recruited 1,100 men and women and asked them to look at photos of eight different sets of female buttocks, which the doctors had digitally generated.

They were then asked to indicate to the researchers which one they found most attractive. The results showed that people liked ‘waist to hip’ ratio of 0.65 is the most attractive. This number resulted in a narrower waist that flares slightly into the hips.

But the ideal butt is far from the extreme proportions you see on many A-list women famous for their hourglass figures.

In a separate study of 2,000 men and women, participants were shown five images of male buttocks and asked to rate each from one to five, with the five images being the most attractive.

The male buttocks at number one were also medium in size, but the contours of the muscle were more clearly defined.

Commenting on the results in women, Dr. Marc Everett, a plastic surgeon in New York City, told DailyMail.com: ‘The mid-2010s brought an explosion in popularity of ‘Brazilian Butt Lift’ or BBL. [a procedure in which a doctor transfers fat from the belly, hips or thighs to the buttocks].

‘But nowadays we see fewer and fewer patients asking for extreme results.

“Instead, they go for more modest fat transfers, which puts them in the ‘unsuspecting’ or ‘it could still be natural’ category.”

Dr. Everett adds that he has recently seen an increase in patients wanting to reverse their posterior enhancement procedure.

“I see patients with some remorse about their exaggerated results,” he says.

‘They are looking for solutions for oversized buttocks that are less fashionable this decade, or for buttocks that sag due to age.’

Interest in BBLs has been driven by big-name celebrities, including Khloe Kardashian, Cardi B and K.Michelle.

But a change in fashion looks like many have reversed the surgery, with Khloe Kardashian set to emerge in 2022 with a slimmed-down figure.

The procedures have soared in popularity, with the number of BBLs increasing from almost 4,000 in 2011 to 61,000 in 2021.

In the first study, scientists began digitally altering a stock photo of a pair of female buttocks to create eight images with different waist-to-hip ratios.

This is the main determinant of buttock size – along with the amount of body fat in the buttocks – and caused the computer-generated images to appear to have varying volume in the buttock tissue.

The greater a person’s waist-to-hip ratio, the more fat they have around their waist, making their butt look less round, scientists say.

And the smaller the waist-to-hip ratio, the less fat they had around their waist, making their buttocks appear fuller.

The images were then shown to 1,000 study participants recruited via social media.

Nearly all participants were from the US: half men, half women, and the majority were between 25 and 34 years old.

Researchers found that buttocks with a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.65 were the most popular. Forty-four percent of respondents said this was their preferred option.

A ratio of 0.65 means that the buttocks are about 35 percent larger than the waist. It was measured by wrapping a measuring tape around the waist at the smallest point and the hips at the largest point.

In second place was the slightly smaller ratio of 0.60: a quarter of the sample favored this measure.

One in ten participants thought the second largest butt was the best: 0.675. And the butt considered least attractive had the lowest waist-to-hip ratio at 0.55.

There is variation in waist-to-hip ratios within the population, doctors said, but anything 0.6 or lower would be “difficult to explain” as natural.

Each image shown was voted on by at least one of the 1,000 participants who said it was their favorite waist-to-hip ratio. Preferences in other parts of the world may differ.

Researchers found that there were no significant differences between age groups, genders and ethnic groups in terms of which buttocks they preferred.

Writing in the study published in the peer-reviewed journal of Plastic and reconstructive surgeryThey said: ‘Our research found that a lower waist-to-hip ratio was preferred compared to the often quoted 0.7.

‘Only 5.7 percent of respondents thought 0.7 was the most attractive waist-to-hip ratio.

‘This may be a result of the general population’s prominent exposure and desensitization to reality stars and celebrities with curvier figures.’

Dr. Everett said a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.6 and below was “quite exaggerated” and “hard to portray as natural.”

In the male buttocks study, researchers asked 2,000 people to rate five digital images of male buttocks from three angles: from behind, in a curve and from the side.

Participants ranked the images from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most attractive. Their scores were then combined to obtain an overall grade.

Participants were recruited online and 61 percent were male between 25 and 34 years old.

All were in the United States and half of the participants were from white backgrounds, while 75 percent were heterosexual.

The results showed that participants generally preferred buttocks that looked ‘moderately enhanced’ and ‘well proportioned’.

Dr. Ashit Patel, a plastic surgeon in North Carolina who led the study, said: ‘In our study, assessors found that the ideal male buttocks should not be too wide and should retain the characteristic dimple on the sides.’

The results showed that from behind, a gluteal trochanter index (GTI) of 0.66 was the most popular – with an average score of 3.1.

The GTI was measured by dividing the distance from the thinnest point of the waist to the bottom of the buttocks by the widest point of the buttocks.

Researchers said they used this in men instead of waist-to-hip ratio because of differences in fat distribution between the two sexes.

A ratio of 0.66 means that the buttocks are approximately 34 percent larger than the distance from the waist to the bottom of the butt.

This was followed by a ratio of 0.64 with an average score of three and 0.68 with an average score of 2.9. At the other end of the scale, participants were least likely to rate 0.58 as their favorite.

However, for the other views, participants rated the buttocks as the most appealing with a GTI of 0.64.

The results showed that among gay participants, the ratio of 0.62 was most likely to be rated as the most attractive.

Researchers said there was a significant difference in responses by region, with those living in the southern parts of the US most likely to say they preferred voluptuous buttocks in men.

Dr. Patel said: ‘Our study is one of the first to really focus on what makes the male buttocks most attractive.

‘We believe the findings will be useful in discussions with patients considering gluteal enhancement and provide guidance in achieving optimal results and patient satisfaction.’

Interest in enhancements to men’s buttocks has increased in recent years; numbers are set to rise, while the proportion of all buttock surgeries performed on men has risen from 2.2 percent in 1997 compared to 6.2 percent in 2012.

This study, also published in the journal of Plastic and reconstructive surgery this year it wants to give people a baseline on which butts are most attractive.