A smaller waist signifies less visceral fat, which significantly lowers risks for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain cancers, while also improving mobility, digestion, sleep quality (less sleep apnea), energy levels, and back pain, leading to better overall physical and mental health. This healthy waistline often reflects better fitness and posture, reducing strain and supporting the body.
A thin waist has been proven to be an indicator of good health. This is simply because so many vital organs are found in this area of the body, and storing fat there dramatically increases your risk of health problems.
These preferences, purportedly in evidence on the pages of men's magazines and in beauty pageants, make sense because they increase men's evolutionary fitness: low waist-hip ratio and low BMI in a woman signal good health and high potential fertility.
Are you at risk? Male*: more than 94 cm (37 inches) is increased risk; more than 102 cm (40 inches) is substantially increased risk. Female*: more than 80 cm (31.5 inches) is increased risk; more than 88 cm (35 inches) is substantially increased risk.
An ideal female body looks like this:
Desirable waist size
Women with a 0.7 WHR (waist circumference that is 70% of the hip circumference) are rated more attractive by men in various cultures. Such diverse beauty icons as Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren and the Venus de Milo have ratios around 0.7; this is a typical ratio in Western art.
Yes, a 24-inch waist is definitely small. In fact, it's quite rare for most adults to have a waist that small unless they have a very small frame or are very thin.
Waist circumference prevalence
In 2022, the average waist measurement for adults was 95.1cm (99.3cm for males and 91.0cm for females). More than two in three (67.9%) adults had measured waist circumference that put them at an increased risk of disease. This has increased from six in ten (62.9%) adults in 2011–12.
In fact, science shows that men are highly attracted to women with good curves. Scottish researchers found that the slimmer a woman's waist, the more satisfied her partner and the less likely he is to suffer from erectile dysfunction.
There are a few reasons why large female breasts should be perceived as attractive. Large, developed, nulliparous breasts may signal female sexual maturity and fecundity to men (Sugiyama, 2005). It has been shown that women with low WHR and large breasts have higher mean and mid-cycle estradiol levels than other women.
Several studies also back these findings. One study conducted by Northwestern University's Body and Media Lab polled both men and women about what female body type men were most attracted to. Most women believed men preferred skinnier body types, but most men actually chose heavier or curvier body types.
Hourglass. If you have an hourglass body, you typically have a small waist in comparison to your hips and bust.
Comparing a 70cm Waist with National Averages
For men, 70cm is considered small, as their average waist ranges from 75–85cm. People with waistlines under 70cm often have slender builds and engage in frequent exercise to maintain firm abdominal muscles.
Sure, genetics play a huge role in bone structure, but the tightness and control of your waist are 100% in your hands. A blocky midsection often comes down to poor mechanics, wrong training choices, and internal inflammation—not just “bad luck.”
The average Australian woman wears size 16
First, what's less than ideal? A waist circumference of greater than 40 inches for men and greater than 35 inches for women is "considered elevated and indicative of increased cardiometabolic (heart disease-related) risk," said Craig Peters, DO, an HonorHealth cardiologist.
The social media mogul then went on to reveal that her waist is a tiny 24 inches. 'It's never been 24 ever in my life,' she says before adding that her hips are 39 inches.
Traditionally, fashion models are expected to meet certain physical criteria. Female models were often expected to have measurements close to 34-24-34 inches (bust-waist-hips), be around 5'8” – 5'11” tall, with a dress size of 4 US/36 EU.
Despite their higher numbers, these past equivalents were still the smallest available sizes at the time. Modern size 0 clothing, depending on brand and style, fits measurements of chest-stomach-hips from 30-22-32 inches (76-56-81 cm) to 33-25-35 inches (84-64-89 cm).
The rarest female body type is generally considered the hourglass, characterized by shoulders and hips of similar width with a significantly narrower, defined waist, with studies suggesting less than 10% of women naturally fit this description, while some data points to the inverted triangle (broad shoulders, narrow hips/waist) also being quite rare, potentially under 1% in some views, though hourglass is more consistently cited as the least common overall.
Studies show that men are most attracted to faces, followed closely by women's rear ends. The same study tells us that women like a man's chest and his hair.
Facial symmetry has been shown to be considered attractive in women, and men have been found to prefer full lips, high forehead, broad face, small chin, small nose, short and narrow jaw, high cheekbones, clear and smooth skin, and wide-set eyes.