Elizabeth Cashdan (2008)
Abstract
A gynoid pattern of fat distribution, with small waist and
large hips (low waist-to-hip ratio, or WHR) holds significant
fitness benefits for women: women with a low WHR of about
0.7 are more fecund, are less prone to chronic disease, and
(in most cultures) are considered more attractive. Why, then,
do nearly all women have a WHR higher than this putative
optimum? Is the marked variation in this trait adaptive? This
paper first documents the conundrum by showing that female
WHR, especially in non-Western populations, is higher than
the putative optimum even among samples that are young,
lean, and dependent on traditional diets. The paper then proposes
compensating benefits to a high WHR that can explain
both its prevalence and variation in the trait. The evidence
indicates that the hormonal profile associated with high WHR
(high androgen and cortisol levels, low estrogens) favors success
in resource competition, particularly under stressful and
difficult circumstances, even though this carries fitness costs
in fecundity and health. Adrenal androgens, in particular, may
play an important role in enabling women to respond to
stressful challenges.
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