Attraction

Youth and beauty

Youth and beauty are extremely important and don't let anyone tell you differently. The proposition that beauty is only skin deep and that what you are on the inside is more important than how you look, misses the point of how the world really is.

Yes, of course we like people who demonstrate compassion, kindness, confidence and a sense of humour, but from an attraction point of view they often don't cut it if they aren't good looking (this is especially true of female beauty). People WILL treat you differently if you are good looking regardless of your wonderful personal qualities and this has been confirmed by research studies time and time again.

Yet we tend to believe that if we are smarter, kinder, more funny it will make us more attractive. Unfortunately, it is true for men and not so true for women, and it comes down to our biological programming. Youth and beauty have a high biological value that should not be underestimated

Why youth and beauty is important

There are a few things you should know:

• Beauty is MORE important for women than for men in attracting a mate

• Men are attracted to youth and beauty more than any other traits because they are biological/fertility indicators and NOT because men are shallow

• Women will take into account non-physical traits (status, humour, kindness, confidence) in selecting a male, NOT because women are nicer or less superficial than men but only because those traits in a man improve his 'fitness' in looking after a family and his potential for success in life

• Women will choose non-physical traits for long-term mating but good looks for short-term mating (one night stands). However,men with humour, confidence, etc, will do OK in the short-term mating game even if they are not good looking, especially if they dress well.

• Men and women look for different physical attributes when selecting a mate. Whereas men are attracted to an ideal waist-to-hip (WHR) ratio and specific facial features, women are attracted to an ideal shoulder-to-waist ratio and different facial features. Neither sex is attracted to a bulging stomach. In fact, it is the least desirable body attribute.

So, what does all this mean for fitness? The right body shape can enhance your attractiveness, especially if you are a woman. It can also improve your self-esteem, which leads to greater confidence (especially important for men). We are also not only judged by the opposite sex but also by our own gender and this can enhance or diminish our feelings of self-worth. People will ascribe certain psychological attributes to you just on the basis of your body shape. If your build is athletic then the attributes will be positive. If you are fat or thin then the attributes will generally be negative.

It is no use wailing about the unfairness of it and it doesn't matter if you don't believe me. You can scream the oppression of women by patriarchal thinking and wave feminist literature in the air till you are blue in the face but these preferences developed over millions of years of our evolutionary history and are played out every day of your life regardless of whether you believe it or not, or whether it is fair or not. You can hate it, ignore it, or use it to your advantage to give yourself the best life you are capable of for the rest of your life.

Ancient beauty quotes, like that of Aristotle above, show that beauty has a power that was as relevant 2300 years ago as it is today.

The next time you are at the beach would you not prefer to have a body that is attractive to the opposite sex and have other men or women say 'I wish I looked like that'. First you need to understand the 'Why of youth and beauty' and then we can start shaping your body in the most efficient manner.

You can retain your youthfulness and good looks or at least slow their loss into advancing years through treating your body the right way. There is only ONE beauty secret and if you are a woman your journey to youth and beauty begins with that secret and if you are a man the secret to youth and beauty is somewhat different from women so men begin your journey at the perfect male body. Another aspect that is often overlooked in the pursuit of beauty and youth, is giving your body a regular break from eating. It is called Intermittent Fasting. For more about this check out these fitness and diet tips.

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