Perfect body shape to attract mate

Women with big busts, short bodies and long legs most attractive to men

Women with small bodies and long legs are the most attractive shapes for men, scientists say.

Add to that a large bust and apparently you have the perfect form to attract a mate, say researchers from Brunel University.

Celebrities including Scarlett Johansson, Rachel Weisz and Marilyn Monroe who all have short, slim bodies, large busts and slender legs have the ideal body shape.

The research also highlighted body symmetry as an important factor for what both men and women find aesthetically pleasing.

Previous studies have shown that symmetrical facial features are more attractive to the opposite sex. However scientists are less clear about how much people are attracted to body symmetry. The research conducted at Brunel University suggests that both sexes find symmetric bodies more attractive than asymmetric ones.

However, scientists believe that we don't actually recognise body symmetry directly and instead hunt for more obvious signs of beauty such as leg length, height and shoulder definition.