Do lifestyle and hormonal variables explain links between health and facial attractiveness?
It has lately been suggested that facial beauty is a sign of underlying immunological competency. That is to say, being facially attractive could mean that your immune system is functioning properly. Nonetheless, research on this topic has produced inconsistent results. It has been suggested that these varying outcomes may stem from the influence of lifestyle factors that affect both perceived facial attractiveness and overall health. In this study by Arnocky & Davis (2024), eight women judged the uniform face pictures of 162 young guys with neutral expressions to determine their level of attractiveness. Testosterone (T), cortisol (C), and immunoglobulin A were quantified in saliva samples, and a skinfold caliper was used to calculate body fat. Self-reported data on poor health and lifestyle factors affecting health status (such as age, sleep habits, smoking, alcohol consumption, family stress, and exercise) were also collected. The study found that symptoms of poor health and higher skinfold measurements negatively impacted facial attractiveness. There was a slight but statistically non-significant interaction between testosterone and cortisol, with men who had higher testosterone and lower cortisol levels tending to have more attractive faces. According to a sequential mediation model, skinfold measures and indications of ill health mediated the associations between exercise, stress, and facial beauty. This suggests that lifestyle variables have an indirect impact on facial attractiveness. The results suggest that the relationship between facial attractiveness and immunocompetence may be influenced by common lifestyle and hormonal factors. However, further research incorporating additional lifestyle indicators, such as nutrition, is needed for a more comprehensive understanding. [NPID: Facial attractiveness, immunocompetence, good genes, sexual selection, unhealthy lifestyle, skinfold, secondary sexual characteristics]
Year: 2024
