There is something to be said for the mind of a researcher. Making their way through university they must attempt to distinguish themselves from the pack. In to the real world and that competition only gets hotter, as they move in to the elite. So when you get a study that looks at a woman's curves and how it affects her intelligence, you know that someone was really trying hard.
Researchers from University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Pittsburgh have conducted what I believe is one of the premiere studies of my time. Apparently, women with an hourglass figure are naturally smarter.
To be published this week in the journal
Evolution and Human Behaviour, the study looked at over 16,000 women and girls. The study found that women with a greater difference between their waist and hip measurements were smarter than those with a smaller difference. In addition, their children also scored higher on the tests.
The British press is going gaga over this study, and not surprisingly considering that the pin-up girl for the hourglass figure--and rightfully so--is British celebrity cook, Nigella Lawson.
While being the envy of many women and the desire of even more men, she is also an Oxford graduate. Another celeb, Rachel Weisz, is another pinup girl for the curves, and as well as being an Oscar award winning actress, she studied at Cambridge before making her way to the Hollywood big screens.
All of this study though, is not just the result of a lucky statistical anomaly. Researchers believe that the results are due to the increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids within the curvy hips. Omega-3 is essential for the growth of the brain during pregnancy, which you would have heard played out on any ad expounding the virtues of omega-3 in your foods, especially fish.
The counter to that is that fat found around the waist is more likely to contain omega-6 fatty acids, which are less suited to brain growth.
This study also plays out in the lives of children of young teen pregnancies. Girls that have given birth at a young age are unlikely to have developed the curvaceous bodies Lawson and Weisz have, and thus are unlikely to pass along an added bonus in the brain department. Studies have already shown that these children do not do at well at school, and this may be a contributing factor.
So in addition to living longer and being more attractive to men, a curvy body might just help you pass some smarts along to your children, not to mention yourself.
Joshua Hill, a Geek’s-Geek from Melbourne, Australia, Josh is an aspiring author with dreams of publishing his epic fantasy, currently in the works, sometime in the next 5 years. A techie, nerd, sci-fi nut and bookworm.
