Sweets for breakfast decreased a person's attractiveness regardless of weight
People who eat sweets and pastries for breakfast look less attractive in the eyes of the opposite sex. This has been confirmed by French experts.
Many people are used to eating sweets and pastries for breakfast. Products that fit these definitions contain so-called refined carbohydrates - sugars, which are purified from "extraneous" impurities (among which are useful, such as fiber) and therefore easily digested in the human body. In addition to sweets and baked goods, such carbohydrates are found in anything containing whole wheat flour and table sugar.
Previous studies have confirmed that excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates leads to serious health consequences: obesity, type 2 diabetes, depression, heart and vascular disease. Scientists from the University of Montpellier in France found out that breakfast with a high glycemic index affects the external attractiveness of a person. The corresponding scientific article was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The experiment involved 104 French adults of different ages, among whom there were equally men and women. Half of them ate for breakfast dishes with a high glycemic index, and the rest - with low. All study participants also filled out a questionnaire in which they reported their dietary habits and consumption of refined carbohydrates.
In the next step, heterosexual volunteers were asked to rate the photos of the experimental participants: men were shown pictures of women and vice versa. Both study participants and volunteers were of European descent so that the results were not affected by cultural heterogeneity.
Statistical analysis of the evaluations showed that men and women who ate dishes with a high glycemic index for breakfast looked less attractive in the eyes of the opposite sex. This may be due to the fact that regular hyperglycemia, which occurs with systematic consumption of refined carbohydrates, accelerates aging of the body and face in particular. Age, meanwhile, often decreases the assessment of attractiveness - this is especially true for men, they especially often prefer younger-looking women.
The results remained the same even after the authors of the study took into account other factors that can affect attractiveness. These were actual age, perceived age, body mass index, smoking and the presence of facial vegetation.
However, the scientists noted, more in-depth studies with larger and more diverse samples are needed. They will allow to better characterize the relationship of refined carbohydrates with attractiveness and other non-medical characteristics.