Supermodels: stick insects or hourglasses?
Open accessIntegrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The Western ideal female body has become exaggerated in the ultra slim bodies found in fashion models and in social media trends of thinspiration and bonespiration.
“This has become exaggerated in the ultra slim bodies found in fashion models (Tovée et al., 1997; Jestratijevic et al., 2020), and in its most extreme form has manifested in the social media trends of thinspiration and bonespiration (Talbot et al., 2017).”
From The degree to which the cultural ideal is internalized predicts judgments of male and female physical attractiveness (2022) · cites this paper as Tovée et al., 1997
Cites
Adaptive significance of female physical attractiveness: role of waist-to-hip ratio
Singh, D. (1993) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.65.2.293 · Cited by 1,334 · see citing works
Cultural Expectations of Thinness in Women
Garner, D. M., Garfinkel, P. E., Schwartz, D. M., & Thompson, M. (1980) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.2466/pr0.1980.47.2.483 · Cited by 1,174 · see citing works
Adipose tissue distribution and function.
Carmelli, D., McElroy, M. R., & Rosenman, R. H. (1991) · PubMed · Cited by 320 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Visual cues to female physical attractiveness
Tovée, M. J., Maisey, D. S., Emery, J. L., & Cornelissen, P. L. (1999) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.1999.0624 · Cited by 304 · see citing works
Self-citationPhysical Attractiveness and Health in Western Societies: A Review.
Weeden, J., & Sabini, J. (2005) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.131.5.635 · Cited by 301 · see citing works
Male physical attractiveness in Britain and Malaysia: A cross-cultural study
Swami, V., & Tovée, M. J. (2005) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2005.08.001 · Cited by 295 · see citing works
Self-citationTobacco Promotion and the Initiation of Tobacco Use: Assessing the Evidence for Causality
DiFranza, J. R., Wellman, R. J., Sargent, J. D., Weitzman, M., Hipple, B. J., Winickoff, J. P., & for the Tobacco Consortium, C. F. C. H. R. O. T. A. A. O. P. (2006) · Pediatrics · doi:10.1542/peds.2005-1817 · Cited by 257 · see citing works
Fatter Attraction: Anthropometric and Socioeconomic Matching on the Marriage Market
Chiappori, P., Oreffice, S., & Quintana‐Domeque, C. (2012) · Journal of Political Economy · doi:10.1086/667941 · Cited by 238 · see citing works
Changing perceptions of attractiveness as observers are exposed to a different culture☆
Tovée, M. J., Swami, V., Furnham, A. F., & MANGALPARSAD, R. (2006) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2006.05.004 · Cited by 228 · see citing works
Self-citationFemale physical attractiveness in Britain and Malaysia: A cross-cultural study
Swami, V., & Tovée, M. J. (2005) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2005.02.002 · Cited by 226 · see citing works
Self-citationOptimum body-mass index and maximum sexual attractiveness
Tovée, M. J., Reinhardt, S., Emery, J. L., & Cornelissen, P. L. (1998) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(05)79257-6 · Cited by 208 · see citing works
Self-citationWaist–hip ratio and attractiveness New evidence and a critique of “a critical test”
Streeter, S. A. (2003) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/s1090-5138(02)00121-6 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Human female attractiveness: waveform analysis of body shape
Tovée, M. J., Hancock, P., Mahmoodi, S., Singleton, B. R. R., & Cornelissen, P. L. (2002) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2002.2133 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Self-citationCrossley, K. L., Cornelissen, P. L., & Tovée, M. J. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050601 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Self-citationLassek, W. D., & Gaulin, S. J. C. (2007) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.07.005 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Roberts, T. L., Weinfeld, A. B., Bruner, T. W., & Nguyen, K. (2006) · Clinics in Plastic Surgery · doi:10.1016/j.cps.2006.05.001 · Cited by 127 · see citing works
The Science of Sex Appeal: An Evolutionary Perspective
Gallup, G. G., & Frederick, D. A. (2010) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0020451 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Shapely centrefolds? Temporal change in body measures: trend analysis
Voracek, M., & Fisher, M. L. (2002) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.325.7378.1447 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
Female physical attractiveness in Britain and Japan: a cross‐cultural study
Swami, V., Caprario, C., Tovée, M. J., & Furnham, A. F. (2006) · European Journal of Personality · doi:10.1002/per.568 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Self-citationHolland, E. (2008) · Aesthetic Plastic Surgery · doi:10.1007/s00266-007-9080-z · Cited by 95 · see citing works
e, M. J. T., Emery, J. L., & Tovée, M. J. (2000) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1240 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Self-citationIs symmetry a visual cue to attractiveness in the human female body?
Tovée, M. J., Tasker, K., & Benson, P. J. (2000) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/s1090-5138(00)00040-4 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Self-citationTelevision exposure predicts body size ideals in rural Nicaragua
Boothroyd, L. G., Jucker, J., Thornborrow, T., Jamieson, M., Burt, D. M., Barton, R. A., Evans, E. H., & Tovée, M. J. (2016) · British Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjop.12184 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Self-citationPerceptions of female body weight and shape among indigenous and urban Europeans
Swami, V., & Tovée, M. J. (2007) · Scandinavian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9450.2006.00526.x · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Self-citationPERCEPTION OF FEMALE BUTTOCKS AND BREAST SIZE IN PROFILE
Furnham, A. F., & Swami, V. (2006) · Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal · doi:10.2224/sbp.2007.35.1.1 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Coetzee, V., Re, D., Perrett, D. I., Tiddeman, B. P., & Xiao, D. (2011) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2010.12.003 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Waist to hip ratio and facial attractiveness: a pilot study
Furnham, A. F., Lavanchy, M., & McClelland, A. (2001) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/s0191-8869(00)00040-4 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Evolutionary Psychology and the Challenge of Adaptive Explanation
Sterelny, K., & Fitness, J. (2004) · Psychology Press eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203484708-16 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Swami, V., Antonakopoulos, N., Tovée, M. J., & Furnham, A. F. (2006) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-006-9338-3 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Self-citationOn beauty: evolution, psychosocial considerations, and surgical enhancement.
Alam, M. K., & Dover, J. S. (2001) · PubMed · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Voracek, M., & Fisher, M. L. (2006) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-006-9021-y · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Preferences for Female Body Weight and Shape in Three European Countries
Swami, V., Neto, F. F. M., Tovée, M. J., & Furnham, A. F. (2007) · European Psychologist · doi:10.1027/1016-9040.12.3.220 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citationThe relationship of female physical attractiveness to body fatness
Wang, G., Djafarian, K., Egedigwe, C. A., Hamdouchi, A. E., Ojiambo, R. M., Ramuth, H., Wallner-Liebmann, S. J., Lackner, S., Diouf, A., Sauciuvenaite, J., et al. (2015) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.1155 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Physical attractiveness and health: Comment on Weeden and Sabini (2005).
Grammer, K., Fink, B., Møller, A. P., & Manning, J. T. (2005) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.131.5.658 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Quantifying Female Bodily Attractiveness by a Statistical Analysis of Body Measurements
Gründl, M., Eisenmann‐Klein, M., & Prantl, L. (2009) · Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery · doi:10.1097/prs.0b013e318199f7a6 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Rodgers, R. F., & Chabrol, H. (2008) · L Encéphale · doi:10.1016/j.encep.2008.05.003 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Waist-to-hip ratio versus body mass index as predictors of fitness in women
Pawłowski, B., & Dunbar, R. (2005) · Human Nature · doi:10.1007/s12110-005-1002-7 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Singh, D. N., & Singh, D. (2020) · University of Zagreb University Computing Centre (SRCE) · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Prantl, L., & Gründl, M. (2011) · Aesthetic Plastic Surgery · doi:10.1007/s00266-011-9669-0 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
What Makes Jessica Rabbit Sexy? Contrasting Roles of Waist and Hip Size
Lassek, W. D., & Gaulin, S. J. C. (2016) · Evolutionary Psychology · doi:10.1177/1474704916643459 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
MacKenzie, R., Collin, J., & Sriwongcharoen, K. (2006) · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · doi:10.1136/jech.2005.042432 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Bertamini, M., Byrne, C., & Bennett, K. M. (2013) · i-Perception · doi:10.1068/i0578 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Stereotypical and Actual Associations of Breast Size with Mating-Relevant Traits
Kościński, K., Makarewicz, R., & Bartoszewicz, Z. (2019) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-019-1464-z · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Cultural significance of leg‐to‐body ratio preferences? Evidence from Britain and rural Malaysia
Swami, V., Einon, D. F., & Furnham, A. F. (2007) · Asian Journal Of Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1467-839x.2007.00235.x · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Perceptions of Female Body Size and Shape in China, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom
Mo, J. J. Y., Cheung, K. W. K., Gledhill, L. J., Pollet, T. V., Boothroyd, L. G., & Tovée, M. J. (2013) · Cross-Cultural Research · doi:10.1177/1069397113510272 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Self-citationBody Mass Index and Waist: Hip Ratio are Not Enough to Characterise Female Attractiveness
Pokrywka, L., Čabrić, M., & Krakowiak, H. (2006) · Perception · doi:10.1068/p5506 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Ridley, B. J., Cornelissen, P. L., Maalin, N., Mohamed, S., Kramer, R. S. S., McCarty, K., & Tovée, M. J. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.980277 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Self-citationMaternal waist-to-hip ratio does not predict child gender
Tovée, M. J., Brown, J. E., & Jacobs, D. R. (2001) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1618 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Self-citationSchemer, C. (2003) · Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft · doi:10.5771/1615-634x-2003-3-4-523 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Emaciated mannequins: a study of mannequin body size in high street fashion stores
Robinson, E., & Aveyard, P. N. (2017) · Journal of Eating Disorders · doi:10.1186/s40337-017-0142-6 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Approach and avoidance bias for thin‐ideal and normal‐weight body shapes in anorexia nervosa
Brockmeyer, T., Burdenski, K., Anderle, A., Voges, M. M., Vocks, S., Schmidt, H., Wünsch‐Leiteritz, W., Leiteritz, A., & Friederich, H. (2020) · European Eating Disorders Review · doi:10.1002/erv.2744 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Comparison of body composition between fashion models and women in general
Park, S. (2017) · Physical Activity and Nutrition · doi:10.20463/jenb.2017.0032 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Focus on Primary Care Evaluation, Management, and Treatment of Obesity in Women
Dickerson, V. M. (2001) · Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey · doi:10.1097/00006254-200110000-00024 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Craig, P. L. (2005) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9780470987087.ch4 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Curviness is a better predictor of a woman’s body attractiveness than the waist-to-hip ratio
Hübner, R., & Ufken, E. S. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-74265-z · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Craig, P. L. (2009) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781444307627.ch4 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Experimental manipulation of muscularity preferences through visual diet and associative learning
Jacques, K., Evans, E. H., & Boothroyd, L. G. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0255403 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Assessment of women’s body beauty
Lim, N.-Y., Zheng, R. Y., Wang, Y., & Fan, J. (2006) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-1-84569-046-5.50001-x · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Preferred Female Body Proportions Among Child-Free Men
Burris, C. T., & Munteanu, A. R. (2012) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-012-9964-0 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Data are the Natural Enemy of Hypotheses: Reply to Holland (2009)
Voracek, M., & Fisher, M. L. (2009) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9472-z · Cited by 3 · see citing works
The effect of weight on health and face perception : a cross-cultural perspective
Coetzee, V. (2011) · St Andrews Research Repository (St Andrews Research Repository) · Cited by 3 · see citing works
The relationship between body fatness and physical attractiveness in males
Xia, F., Sauciuvenaite, J., Bissland, R., Hambly, C., Vaanholt, L. M., Faries, M. D., Wang, G., & Speakman, J. R. (2025) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2025.113240 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Hannier, S., Tassoul, A., & Sutter, P. D. (2022) · Sexologies · doi:10.1016/j.sexol.2021.12.001 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Immer schlanker und kranker? Models in der Werbung
Koch, T., & Hofer, L. (2008) · VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-531-90994-3_10 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Körper, Leistung, Selbstdarstellung
Schurzmann-Leder, L. (2021) · Edition Medienwissenschaft · doi:10.14361/9783839455852 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Holland, E. (2009) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9470-1 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Lauricella, A. M. (2009) · OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network) · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Immer schlanker und kranker? Models in der Werbung
Koch, T., & Hofer, L. (2011) · VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-531-93358-0_11 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Sesgos ideológicos en las teorías sobre la evolución del sexo
Leal, A. G. (2006) · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Gledhill, L. J. (2015) · Cited by 1 · see citing works
The shaping of women's bodies: in pursuit of the fashion silhouette
Fillmer, C. (2023) · ResearchOnline at James Cook University (James Cook University) · doi:10.25903/9gpk-pt52
Mónge-Nájera, J., & Corrales, K. V. (1969) · UNED Research Journal · doi:10.22458/urj.v6i1.308
The Time Trend of Beauties: Detection of Cross-Cultural Invariance in Playboy Centerfolds
Hergovich, A., & Süssenbach, S. (2014) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-014-9279-5
Barash, D. P., & Lipton, J. E. (2010) · Spektrum Akademischer Verlag eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-8274-2462-4_4
Social perception of facial cues of adiposity
Fisher, C. I. (2017) · Enlighten: Theses (The University of Glasgow)
Vázquez, I. A. (2008) · Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja)
Atrakcyjność względnej masy i kształtu ciała
Rozmus-Wrzesińska, M., & Pawłowski, B. (2009) · Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego eBooks · doi:10.31338/uw.9788323511854.pp.110-165
Maalin, N. (2020) · Lincoln Repository (University of Lincoln) · doi:10.24385/lincoln.24326464
Schurzmann-Leder, L. (2021) · Edition Medienwissenschaft · doi:10.14361/9783839455852-027
Swanson, E. C. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71219-2_3
Schemer, C. (2003) · Medien & Kommunikationswissenschaft · doi:10.5771/1615-634x-2003--523
- Authors
- Tovée, M. J., Mason, S. M., Emery, J. L., McCluskey, S. E., & Cohen-Tovée, E. M.
- Affiliations
- Royal Victoria Infirmary (GB)
- Venue
- The Lancet
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1997-11
- Volume
- 350
- Issue
- 9089
- Pages
- 1474-1475
- ISSN
- 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
- 0140-6736
- OpenAlex
- W2026872966
- Cited by
- 83
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 2.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The Lancet (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Lincoln Repository (University of Lincoln) (acceptedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Media, Gender, and Advertising
- Keywords
- supermodels, body image, thinness, eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, role models, young women, media influence
- MeSH terms
- Feeding and Eating Disorders, Beauty, Body Constitution, Body Weight, Female, Humans, Body Mass Index
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review