It's a bad look
By PLOS
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The research highlights the potential social consequences
of dietary choices, emphasizing the need for further exploration into how
nutrition influences perceived attractiveness and other social characteristics.
Consuming high-glycemic foods both short-term and
long-term was linked to lower attractiveness scores, regardless of other
variables like body mass index (BMI) and age.
A recent research project has discovered a statistical
link between the amount of refined carbohydrates consumed by individuals and
their perceived facial attractiveness, as evaluated by heterosexual volunteers
of the opposite sex. This study, conducted by Visine and their team at the
University of Montpellier in France, was published in the open-access
journal PLOS ONE.
The Western diet consists of high levels of refined
carbohydrates—foods processed in ways that typically remove much of their
nutritional value, such as white flour, table sugar, and ingredients in many
packaged snacks.
Prior research has linked increased consumption of refined carbohydrates with adverse health effects, such as obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Preliminary evidence has suggested that consuming high levels of refined carbohydrates might also affect non-medical traits, such as a person’s attractiveness. To further explore this possibility, Visine and colleagues conducted a study involving 104 French male and female adults.
The researchers gave some of the participants a
high-glycemic breakfast—one with refined carbohydrates known to boost blood
sugar levels—while others received a low-glycemic breakfast. The participants
also completed a questionnaire to evaluate their typical habits of consumption
of refined carbohydrates.
Additional heterosexual volunteers were then asked to
rate the facial attractiveness of opposite-sex participants as captured in
photos taken two hours after the provided breakfast. Only participants and
volunteers with four grandparents of European origin were included in this
research, to reduce cultural heterogeneity.
Findings and Observations
Statistical analysis showed that consuming the
high-glycemic breakfast was associated with lower subsequent facial
attractiveness ratings for both men and women. Chronic consumption of refined
carbohydrates during breakfast and snacks was also associated with lower
attractiveness ratings, although consumption of high-energy foods at these
times was associated with higher attractiveness ratings.
The researchers noted some sex differences: for afternoon
snacking in men specifically, high-energy intake was instead associated with
lower attractiveness ratings, while high-glycemic intake was linked to higher
attractiveness ratings.
All results held true after statistically accounting for
other factors that could affect attractiveness, such as actual age, perceived
age, BMI, smoking habits, and facial hairiness. Further research, including for
larger and more diverse sample sizes, is needed to deepen understanding of
exactly how refined carbohydrates may be linked to attractiveness and other
social traits.
The authors add: “Facial attractiveness, an important
factor of social interactions, seems to be impacted by immediate and chronic
refined carbohydrate consumption in men and women.”
Reference: “Chronic and immediate refined carbohydrate
consumption and facial attractiveness” by Amandine Visine, Valérie Durand,
Léonard Guillou, Michel Raymond and Claire Berticat, 6 March 2024, PLOS ONE.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298984