The way to a man's heart …

Better Nutrition, March, 2005

According to a new study in the February 2005 issue of Psychological Science, men tend to desire slightly larger women when they are hungry. But their tastes turn to more svelte women when their stomachs are full.

Hungry male subjects selected "ideal women" that were 3-4 pounds heavier when they were hungry, compared to their choices after a cafeteria meal.

While the reasons behind the phenomenon remain unclear, it could be that when men are hungry, they seek out signals of lushness or opulence--and heaviness in the female might be such a signal.

So far, no such findings have emerged in terms of women's preferences when it comes to men. There was a very slight tendency for hungry women to prefer taller men, but it was a very weak relationship.