Eating Disorders viewed from an Evolutionary

Perspective Regarding Mate Choice

Celia DiMicoli

Introduction

• Dieting in women of all ages can be explained by the current belief that thin is beautiful and good

• Women choose thin female figures as ideal

• Perceive their current body as fatter than the ideal

• Women also choose their ideal figure as much thinner than what they believe men’s preference to be

What do men want?

• To have sex with lots of hot women• Essentially, to pass on their genes, as

many genes as humanly possible. • Physical attractiveness, then, is a

fundamental determinant of mate choice• Hour glass figure

• Why?

Evolutionary Perspective

• Both men and women select mating partners who enable them to enhance their reproductive success

• Men need to mate with women who can have children that will survive

• Men possess mechanisms (conscious or unconscious) to detect these features

• In the EEA

Waist-to-Hip Ratio

• Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) in women is a calculation characterized by enlarged chest, slender waist, and enlarged buttocks and hips

• Emerges after puberty in females

• A WHR of .7 is considered optimally “beautiful”

• WHR serves as an observable sign of the unobservable hormonal state – fertility & health

Cross cultural

• Men in almost every culture prefer a WHR of .7

• Some variation

Victorian era

Evolutionarily…

• This makes complete sense!

• Evidence suggests that being extremely underweight or overweight can have adverse effects on female reproductive functions

• So, if we want to attract a mate…

Why would some women do this???

Eating Disorders

• Anorexia Nervosa characterized by an abnormal fear of becoming obese, a distorted self-image, a persistent unwillingness to eat, and severe weight loss.

• Bulimia Nervosa characterized by episodic binge eating and followed by feelings of guilt, depression, and self-condemnation. It is often associated with measures taken to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives, dieting, or fasting.

Not adaptive

»High mortality

»Do not menstruate

Possible explanations?

• Social Comparison• Media influence• Status

Evolution in the Making?

Dress size 12 Dress size 6

Current Trends

• Slender figures and an emphasis on thinness is prevalent in today’s society

• Hourglass to tubular

• 1960-1978 – gradual but definite evolution in ideal body shape for women

• More changes to come?

Possible explanations?

• Emergency strategy for reproductive suppression?

• Extreme intrasexual competition

• Serious mental illness

Conclusions

• Physical attractiveness is a major component in the human female’s mate attraction strategy

• From an evolutionary perspective, men want women with a WHR of .7

• Eating disorders shouldn’t occur

• Frightening