Waist-Hip ratio is a measurement of fat distribution in the lower body.  In past studies of WHR, doctors analyzed its correlations with reproductive age, fertility, health, and perceptions of female attractiveness.

A study from 2009 (recently published online) examines this latter category by analyzing pre and post-operative photographs from patients who underwent liposuction and fat transplantation into the buttocks – a procedure known as the Brazilian Butt Lift.

To analyze perceptions of female attractiveness, male and female subjects from four different geographical areas (or societies) were asked to complete a questionnaire referencing 20 before and after photos of patients who had undergone enhancement with the Brazilian Butt Lift.  In all post-operative photographs, patients showed a reduced Waist-to-Hip ratio without a significant change in body mass index.

“All four populations tested judged postoperative photographs to be significantly more attractive,” wrote authors of the study.  What’s interesting about these results is not simply that post-operative photographs were judged as more attractive; it’s the cross-cultural element, which lends objectiveness to the entire process.  A similar preference for low Waist-Hip ratio was demonstrated, regardless of the ethnic and socioeconomic differences present in the study participants.

You can read this study, “Cross-cultural consensus for waist-hip ratio and women’s attractiveness” through sciencedirect.com