Beyond desirable : preferences for thinness and muscularity are greater than what is rated as desirable by heterosexual Australian undergraduate students

Objective: The present study sought to examine self-ratings of actual and ideal bodies, as well as attractiveness ratings of other bodies in an Australian undergraduate sample. Additionally, associations between body preferences and self-body ratings in men and women were explored. Method: Five-hundred-and-seventy heterosexual men and women selected their actual and ideal body, and the body they found most attractive utilizing bi-dimensional figural rating scales. Results: Results showed that on average both men and women wanted to have less body fat and more muscularity than they perceived that they had. Additionally, results showed that women’s body fat ideals are thinner than men prefer, but their ideal muscularity was congruent with what men selected as most attractive. Men, however, showed exaggerated thinness and muscularity compared to female preferences.  Results also showed small to moderate positive correlations between both men and women’s perceived actual body, and the body they found most attractive in a different gender for body fat and muscularity, respectively. Conclusions: These results add to the evidence of discrepancy between perceived actual and ideal bodies for men and women, and ideal bodies and what is attractive to others. Additionally, results highlight the significance of perceived body characteristics in influencing attraction. KEY POINTS: What is already known about this topic: (1) In Western samples, past research has shown that women tend to want less body fat than they perceive they have. (2) Limited studies have shown that in Western samples, men tend to want less body fat and greater muscularity than they perceive they have. (3) Prior studies have also shown that there tends to be a mis-match in terms of what body type prospective romantic partners believe other people find attractive, and what body type prospective romantic partners actually find attractive. What this topic adds: (1) Our study presents an examination of perceived actual and ideal body fat and muscularity in an undergraduate sample of Australian heterosexual men and women, finding that on average both men and women wanted to have less body fat and more muscularity than they perceived that they had. (2) Our study also found that women’s body fat ideals are thinner than men prefer, but their ideal muscularity was in line with what men found most attractive. Men, however, wanted less body fat and greater muscularity than women found attractive. (3) Our study also found that there was a positive association between participants’ own level of body fat, and the level of body fat that they found most attractive.