Note: this post contains mature content.

In an international study, female graphic designers in 18 countries were asked to adjust a generic image of woman so as to broaden her appeal, making her more marketable in the designer's respective countries. The returned submissions varied widely in appearance, with designers tweaking not only bodily structure, but skin tone, hair, and even facial features.

Among Western countries, Italy's submission had the lowest estimated BMI and weight, while Spain's was highest. The United Kingdom was intermediate, with an estimated BMI of 21.0 and an estimated weight of 57.2 kg.

According to WorldData.info, the average woman in the United Kingdom is 69 kg and has a BMI of 27.1. In comparison, the average woman in the United States is 76.4 kg and has a BMI of 28.8. In Italy, the figures are 67.0 kg and 24.9. Average female height for the UK, US, and Italy are all 1.64 meters.

Below is the original image:



Here are the submissions from the three countries:



The weight and BMI for the Italian and American images were 49.0 kg | 18.0, and 58.1 kg | 21.3.

The UK submission had a waist-hip ratio that fell between the two, with the US being on the lower end (more pronounced curvature), and Italy's slightly higher (less pronounced curvature).

According to a study on British women performed by Forza Supplements, the most common body type among females in the United Kingdom is the "Oval" (larger midsection), followed by the "Diamond" (larger waist, thinner bust). Together, these account for nearly 40% of all female body types in Britain.

  1. Oval (Dawn French) - 20% of women
  2. Diamond (Adele) - 17%
  3. Bell (Lena Dunham) - 12%
  4. Cello (Jennifer Lopez) - 11%
  5. Hourglass (Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson) - 10%
  6. Spoon (Kate Winslet) - 8%.
  7. Ruler (Gwyneth Paltrow) - 7%
  8. Column (Cara Delevingne) - 6%
  9. Skittle (Duchess of Cambridge) - 5%
  10. Top Hourglass (Nigella Lawson, Kim Kardashian) - 4%.


However, these percentages were not perceived as natural, and the prevalence of certain types was interpreted as cause for alarm:

Forza Supplements managing director Lee Smith said the study illustrated how rising obesity levels were to blame for the surge in the number of women in categories which indicate they could be overweight.

Mr Smith added: 'These figures represent the shape of modern Britain. We are the fattest nation in Western Europe and obesity levels are rising all the time.

'One in four Britons are now clinically obese, according to the United Nations, so it should come as no surprise that Oval is the most common shape of British women.

'A staggering 57 per cent of women in the UK are overweight which explains why other bigger body shapes such as the Diamond and the Bell are common, too.

'This the biggest health challenge we face as a nation and no Government in the last generation has been able to halt the rise.

'It is time we all woke up to the problem and started to make major changes in public policy to encourage our children to eat more healthily.'
British model Jean Shrimpton (measurements 85B-58-89 cm)



And, actress Kate Beckinsale (85B-59-87)



For the sake of comparison, here are US model and actress Marilyn Monroe and Jennifer Love Hewitt (90D-56-91 and 95GG-64-97)



And, Italian actress and model Gina Lollobrigida and Bianca Balti (90C-51-89 and 80B-58-87)



Sensual interest in the gluteal region was prominent in Victorian England, with spanking being popular in erotica from the time period. Below is an image from the adult publication The Memoirs of Dolly Morton, published in London in 1899. It appears to demonstrate an interest in those who are more voluptuous:



But, the English physician Havelock Ellis wrote that:

The European artist frequently seeks to attenuate rather than accentuate the protuberant lines of the feminine hips, and it is noteworthy that the Japanese also regard small hips as beautiful. Nearly everywhere else large hips and buttocks are regarded as a mark of beauty, and the average man is of this opinion even in the most æsthetic countries.
Thus, it seems that waist and hips on the slimmer side have been preferred for some time.

Interestingly, Queen Victoria herself apparently had a hip measurement of 94 cm (and a smaller waistline); thus she may not have appeared very different from the photoshopped image of the British woman shown above.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...mmer-days.html

Read the full studies here: https://onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/p...220d7947c9facd

https://www.forzasupplements.co.uk/b...f-modern-women

https://www.worlddata.info/average-bodyheight.php

And, an interesting read - How Moving From Italy to America Helped Me Learn to Love My Body https://www.byrdie.com/italian-women-body-types