Waist-to-hip ratio versus body mass index as predictors of fitness in women

Human Nature

Volumn 16, Issue 2, 2005, Pages 164-177

  Pawlowski B ^a   Dunbar, R I M ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WROC AW   (Poland)

^b UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Body Mass Index (BMI); Fitness; Neonatal weight; Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR)

Indexed keywords

EID: 24944531365     PISSN: 10456767     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s12110-005-1002-7     Document Type: Review

References (66)

1. Björntorp, P. 1988 The Associations between Obesity, Adipose Tissue Distribution and Disease. Acta Medica Scandinavica (Supplement) 723:121-134.
2. Borgerhoff Mulder, M. 1988 Kipsigis Bridewealth Payments. In Human Reproductive Behaviour, L. Betzig, M. Borgerhoff Mulder, and P. Turke, eds. Pp. 65-82. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3. Brown, J. E., J. D. Potter, D. R. Jacobs, R. A. Kopher, M. J. Rourke, G. M. Barosso, P. J. Hannan, and L. A. Schmid 1996 Maternal Waist-to-Hip Ratio as a Predictor of Newborn Size: Results of the Diana Project. Epidemiology 7:62-66.
4. Buss, D. 1989 Sex Differences in Human Mate Preferences: Evolutionary Hypotheses Tested in 37 Cultures. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 12:1-49.
5. Chase, H. C. 1969 Infant Mortality and Weight at Birth: 1960 United States Cohort. American Journal of Public Health 59:1618-1628.
6. Clutton-Brock, T. H., ed. 1988 Reproductive Success. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
7. DeRidder, C. M., P. F. Bruning, M. L. Zonderland, J. H. H. Thijssen, J. M. G. Bonfrer, M. A. Blankenstein, I. A. Huisveld, and W. B. M. Erich 1990 Body-Fat Mass, Body-Fat Distribution, and Plasma Hormones in Early Puberty in Females. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 70:888-893.
8. DeScrilli, A., A. Bossi, E. Marubini, and M. Cacamo 1983 Neonatal Morbidity Risk: A Study of the Relationship to Birthweight and Gestational Age in Four Italian Centres. Annals of Human Biology 10:235-246.
9. Dunbar, R. I. M. 1988 Primate Social Systems. London: Chapman and Hall.
10. 1995 The Trouble with Science. London: Faber and Faber, and New York: Harvard University Press.
11. Ellard, G. A., F. D. Johnstone, R. J. Prescott, J. X. Wang, and J. H. Mao 1996 Smoking during Pregnancy: The Dose Dependence of Birthweight Defects. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 103:806-813.
12. Engstrom, J. L., S. A. Paterson, A. Doherty, M. Trabulsi, and K. L. Speer 2003 Accuracy of Self-reported Height and Weight in Women: An Integrative Review of the Literature. Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health 48:338-345.
13. Fields, S. J., and A. R. Frisancho 1993 Selection on Maternal and Neonate Size at Birth. Human Biology 65:579-591.
14. Folsom, A. R., S. A. Kaye, T. A. Seller, C. Hong, J. R. Cerhan, J. D. Potter, and R. J. Prineas 1993 Body Fat Distribution and 5-Year Risk of Death in Older Women. Journal of the American Medical Association 269:483-487.
15. Freudenheim, J. L., and S. L. Darrow 1991 Accuracy of Self-measurement of Body Fat Distribution by Waist, Hip and Thigh Circumferences. Nutrition and Cancer 15:179-186.
16. Furnham, A., T. Tan, and C. McManus 1997 Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Preferences for Body Shape: A Replication and Extension. Personality and Individual Differences 22:539-549.
17. Furnham A., J. Moutafi, and P. Baguma 2002 A Cross-Cultural Study on the Role of Weight and Waist-to-Hip Ratio on Female Attractiveness. Personality and Individual Differences 32:729-745.
18. Godfrey, K. M., and D. J. Barker 2001 Fetal Programming and Adult Health. Public Health and Nutrition 4:611-624.
19. Hall, T. R., and T. B. Young 1989 A Validation Study of Body Fat Distribution as Determined by Self-measurement of Waist and Hip Circumference. International Journal of Obesity 13:801-807.
20. Han, T. S., G. McNeill, J. C. Seidell, and M. E. Lean 1997 Predicting Intra-abdominal Fatness from Anthropometric Measures: The Influence of Stature. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders 21:587-593.
21. Henss, R. 1995 Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Attractiveness. Replication and Extension. Personality and Individual Differences 19:479-488.
22. 2000 Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Female Attractiveness. Evidence from Photographic Stimuli and Methodological Considerations. Personality and Individual Differences 25:501-513.
23. Jasienska, G., A. Ziomkiewicz, P. T. Ellison, S. F. Lipson, and I. Thune 2004 Large Breasts and Narrow Waist Indicate High Reproductive Potential in Women. Proceedings of the Royal Society (London) 271B: 1213-1217.
24. Karim, E., and C. G. N. Mascie-Taylor 1997 The Association between Birthweight, Sociodemographic Variables and Maternal Anthro-pometry in an Urban Sample from Dhak, Bangladesh. Annals of Human Biology 24:387-401.
25. Kaye, S. A., A. R. Folsom, R. J. Prineas, J. D. Potter, and S. M. Gapstur 1990 The Association of Body Fat Distribution with Lifestyle and Reproductive Factors in a Population Study of Postmenopausal Women. International Journal of Obesity 14:583-591.
26. Kirchengast, S., and J. Huber 2001 Fat Distribution Patterns in Young Amenorrheic Females. Human Nature 12:123-140.
27. Koops, B. L., L. J. Morgan, and F. C. Bataglia 1982 Neonatal Mortality Risk in Relation to Birth Weight and Gestational Age: Update. Pediatrics 101:969-977.
28. Kushi, L. H., S. A. Kaye, A. R. Folsom, J. T. Soler, and R. J. Prineas 1988 Accuracy and Reliability of Self-measurement of Body Girths. American Journal of Epidemiology 128:740-748.
29. Leibel, R. L., N. K. Edens, and S. K. Fried 1989 Physiologic Basis for the Control of Body Fat Distribution in Humans. Annual Review of Nutrition 9:417-443.
30. Lin J. D., W. K. Chiou, H. F. Weng, Y. H. Tsai, and T. H. Liu 2002 Comparison to Three-Dimensional Anthropometric Body Surface Scanning to Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Body Mass Index in Correlation with Metabolic Risk Factors. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 55:752-766.
31. Lycett, J., R. I. M. Dunbar, and E. Voland 2000 Longevity and the Costs of Reproduction in a Historical Human Population. Proceedings of the Royal Society (London) 2678:31-35.
32. Marlowe, F., and A. Wetsman 2001 Preferred Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Ecology. Personality and Individual Differences 30:481-489.
33. McCormick, M. C. 1985 The Contribution of Low Birth Weight to Infant Mortality and Childhood Morbidity. New England Journal of Medicine 10:82-90.
34. Meis, P. J., R. Michielutte, T. J. Peters, H. B. Wells, R. E. Sands, E. C. Coles, and K. A. Johns 1997 Factors Associated with Term Low Birthweight in Cardiff, Wales. Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 11:287-297.
35. Misra, A., and N. Vikram 2003 Clinical and Pathophysiological Consequences of Abdominal Adiposity and Abdominal Adipose Tissue Depots. Nutrition 19:457-456.
36. Moor, V., and M. Davies 2001 Early Life Influences on Later Health: The Role of Nutrition. Asian Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition 10:113-117.
37. Najmi, R. S. 2000 Distribution of Birthweights of Hospital-Born Pakistani Infants. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association 50:121-124.
38. Nettle, D. 2002a Height and Reproductive Success in a Cohort of British Men. Human Nature 13:473-491.
39. 2002b Women's Height, Reproductive Success and the Evolution of Sexual Dimorphism in Modern Humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society (London) 2698:1919-1923.
40. Pawłowski, B. 1998 Why Are Human Newborns So Big and Fat? Human Evolution 13:65-72.
41. Pawłowski, B., and R. I. M. Dunbar 1999 Impact of Market Value on Human Mate Choice Decisions. Proceedings of the Royal Society (London) 266B:281-285.
42. Remsberg K., E. Talbott, J. Zborowski, R. Evans, and K. McHugh-Pemu 2002 Evidence for Competing Effects of Body Mass, Hyperinsulinemia, Insulin Resistance, and Androgens on Leptin Levels among Lean, Overweight and Obese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Fertility and Sterility 78:479-486.
43. Rimm, E. B., M. J. Stampfer, G. A. Colditz, C. G. Chute, L. B. Litin, and W. C. Willett 1990 Validity of Self-reported Waist and Hip Circumferences in Men and Women. Epidemiology 1:466-473.
44. Rozmus-Wrzesinska, M., and B. Pawłowski 2005 Men's Ratings of Female Attractiveness Are Influenced More by Changes in Female Waist Size Compared with Changes in Hip Size. Biological Psychology 68: 299-308.
45. Sappenfield, W. M., J. W. Buehler, N. J. Binkin, L. T. Strauss, and C. J. R. Hogue 1987 Differences in Neonatal and Postnatal Mortality, by Race, Birth Weight and Gestational Age. Public Health Reports 102:182-192.
46. Scott, A., V. Moar, and M. Ounsted 1981 The Relative Contributions of Different Maternal Factors in Small-for-Gestational-Age Pregnancies. European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 12:158-165.
47. Singh, D. 1993a Adaptive Significance of Female Physical Attractiveness: Role of Waist-to-Hip Ratio. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65:293-307.
48. 1993b Body Shape and Women's Attractiveness: The Critical Role of Waist-to-Hip Ratio. Human Nature 4:297-321.
49. 2002 Female Mate Value at a Glance: Relationship of Waist-to-Hip Ratio to Health, Fecundity and Attractiveness. Neuroendocrinological Letters 23 (suppl. 4): 81-91.
50. Spinillo, A., E. Capuzzo, G. Piazzi, S. Nicola, L. Colonna, and A. Iasci 1994 Maternal High-Risk Factors and Severity of Growth Deficit in Small for Gestational Age Infants. Early Human Development 38:35-43.
51. Streeter, S., and D. McBurney 2003 Waist-to-Hip Attractiveness. New Evidence and a Critique of "A Critical Test." Evolution and Human Behavior 24:88-98.
52. Sugiyama, L. S. 2004 Is Beauty in the Context-Sensitive Adaptations of the Beholder? Shiwiar Use of Waist-to-Hip Ratio in Assessments of Female Mate Value. Evolution and Human Behavior 25:51-62.
53. Symons, D. 1979 The Evolution of Human Sexuality. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
54. Tassinary, L. G., and K. A. Hansen 1998 A Critical Test of the Waist-to-Hip Ratio Hypothesis of Female Physical Attractiveness. Psychological Science 9:150-155.
55. Tovée, M. J., S. M. Mason, J. L. Emery, S. E. McClusky, and E. M. Cohen-Tovée 1997 Supermodels: Stick Insects or Hourglasses? Lancet 350:1474-1475.
56. Tovée, M. J., D. S.Maisey, J. Emery, and P. L. Cornelissen 1999 Visual Cues to Female Physical Attractiveness. Proceedings of the Royal Society (London) 2666:211-218.
57. Tovée M. J., J. L. Emery, and E. M. Cohen-Tovée 2000 The Estimation of Body Mass Index and Physical Attractiveness Is Dependent on the Observer's Own Body Mass Index. Proceedings of the Royal Society (London) 267B: 1987-1997.
58. Voland, E., and R. Voland 1989 Evolutionary Biology and Psychiatry: The Case of Anorexia Nervosa. Ethology and Sociobiology 10:223-240.
59. Wass, P., U. Waldenstrom, S. Rossner, and D. Hellberg 1997 An Android Body Fat Distribution in Females Impairs the Pregnancy Rate in In-Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer. Human Reproduction 12:2057-2060.
60. Weaver, T. W., L. H. Kushi, P. G. McGovern, J. D. Potter, S. S. Rich, R. A. King, J. Whitbeck, J. Greenstein, and T. A. Sellers 1996 Validation Study of Self-Reported Measures of Fat Distribution. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders 20:644-650.
61. Wetsman, A., and F. Marlowe 1999 How Universal Are Preferences for Female Waist-to-hip Ratios? Evidence from the Hadza of Tanzania. Evolution and Human Behavior 20:219-228.
62. Xiong, X., N. N. Demianczuk, P. Buekens, and L. D. Sauders 2000 Association of Preeclampsia with High Birth Weight for Gestational Age. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 183:148-155.
63. Yamamoto, S., T. Douchi, N. Yoshimitsu, M. Nakae, and Y. Nagata 2001 Waist to Hip Circumference Ratio as a Significant Predictor of Preeclampsia, Irrespective of Overall Adiposity. Journal of Obstetric and Gynaecological Research 27:27-31.
64. Yu, D. W., and G. H. Shepard Jr. 1998 Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder? Nature 396:321-322.
65. Zaadstra, B. M., J. C. Seidell, P. A. H. Vannoord, E. R. Tevelde, J. D. F. Habbema, B. Vrieswijk, and J. Karbaat 1993 Fat and Female Fecundity-Prospective Study of Effect of Body-Fat Distribution on Conception Rates. British Medical Journal 306:484-487.
66. Zaren, B., S. Cnattingius, and G. Lindmark 1997 Fetal Growth Impairment from Smoking-Is It Influenced by Maternal Allometry? Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 76:30-34.