1. Eating Disorders viewed from an Evolutionary Perspective Regarding Mate Choice Celia DiMicoli

3. 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

4. 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?

5. 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

6. 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

7. Cross cultural Men in almost every culture prefer a WHR of.7 Some variation

8. Victorian era

9. 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…

10. Why would some women do this???

11. 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.

12. Not adaptive »High mortality »Do not menstruate

13. Possible explanations? Social Comparison Media influence Status

14. Evolution in the Making? Dress size 12Dress size 6

15. 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?

17. Possible explanations? Emergency strategy for reproductive suppression? Extreme intrasexual competition Serious mental illness

18. 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