People Born In This Season Are Considered The Most Attractive
When it comes to attractiveness and beauty, there are only so many things we can control. Sure, we can fix certain things about our appearances that we're not too happy about — for instance, getting a dimpleplasty or a tip-lift nose-job — but some things that affect one's attractiveness are beyond our control.
You're probably thinking somewhere along the lines of genetically inherited traits, like your height, the shape of your eyes, or the symmetry of your facial characteristics, but there's one more thing to consider: the season you're born in. Sounds a little weird, right? But according to scientific studies, the season you're born in affects your overall health, and the healthier you are, the more attractive you are, at least according to Charles Darwin.
Confused? Let us clarify, Darwin's theory of sexual selection says our brains are wired to choose the most suitable partner to guarantee the survival of the species. As such, the most attractive partner should be the healthiest one, right? That said, research shows that the link between female health and perceived attractiveness still exists, and it could mean individuals born during the spring months are typically healthier — and more attractive.
What does science say about the link between attractiveness, health, and season of birth?
A 2013 research study published in the Journal of Education, Culture, and Society investigated the link between the season of Polish women's birth and their perceived attractiveness by pulling pictures of 5,294 women between 21 and 23 years old from a social networking site. After individually assessing each of the images, results showed that those born in spring (specifically, May) received higher attractiveness ratings than those born in the autumn months.
The authors of the study suggest that this is because children born in the first six months of the year are generally healthier. Amongst the Polish population, immunoglobulin levels are the lowest during summer and autumn, meaning children born during these months are at a higher risk of getting sick. As such, the healthiest babies (who will grow up to also be the most attractive) are born between February and May (when their immunoglobulin levels are high). Additionally, a pregnant woman's diet during the Polish winter months lacks several nutrients, and as a consequence, babies born in autumn aren't as healthy.
A 2015 research study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association confirms these findings. The results of the study showed that as many as 55 health conditions are associated with a person's season of birth. People born in May have the lowest risk of developing these diseases, while people born in October have the highest risk.
The science of attraction goes beyond one's season of birth
Is the season you're born in really everything, though? "It's crucial to acknowledge that physical appearance constitutes merely one aspect of a person and doesn't define their essence or worth as a human being nor define how attractive they are to others," clinical psychotherapist and sex educator Lisa Lawless told Business Insider. Additionally, Jacqueline Fae, a dating coach and the founder of IDL Match Club, told the outlet that all five senses come into play when deciding whether you find a person attractive or not. "You need all of them to have like the ultimate attraction," Fae said.
According to psychologists and co-authors of the study "Attraction and Close Relationships," Ellen Berscheid and Harry Reid, finding someone attractive comes down to exploring common ground in shared personality traits, similar physical appearance, shared geographical location, and interlinked social networks.
Moreover, research shows that the most attractive traits a man can have aren't found in his physical appearance, but in how he shows kindness and compassion. Similarly, Redditors confessed that they find kindness and a sense of humor attractive in a woman. While we certainly don't underestimate what research says about the effect our birth season has on the link between our health and attractiveness, we also shouldn't let it worry us too much, especially since there are several low-key things that are highly attractive in a person (other than the month we are born in).