Hungry people prefer larger bodies and objects: The importance of testing boundary effects.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational study assessing correlations between self-reported hunger and stimulus ratings (by design analogy, not clinical CEBM)
PubMed 31373691 · doi:10.1111/bjop.12417
What was done
Researchers investigated whether the preference shift toward larger stimuli under hunger is specific to female bodies or represents a broader domain-general effect. A sample of 186 participants self-reported their current hunger levels and provided attractiveness ratings for images of female bodies, male bodies, and non-body objects that were digitally manipulated to vary in size and adiposity.
What was found
The abstract reports no exact numerical values or effect sizes. Hungrier participants rated larger stimuli as more attractive overall compared to less hungry participants. This preference for larger sizes was particularly pronounced for female bodies, especially when judged by female participants.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that hunger-induced preferences for larger physical size are not strictly limited to female body attractiveness or mate selection mechanisms, but may reflect a more generalized response to resource scarcity.
Limits
The study relies on self-reported hunger rather than experimentally controlled or biochemically verified fasting states. The abstract does not report effect sizes, confidence intervals, or statistical test values. Demographic details, participant selection criteria, and specific object stimulus categories are not described in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports According to the environmental security hypothesis, hungry men prefer heavier women, whereas satiated men prefer thinner women.