Gregg Carter wrote: .

> Cross-cultural studies of beauty reveal two key findings:  (1) the most
> desirable women have a waist-to-hip ratio between .6 and .8; (2) the
> most desirable mate has symmetrical features (both body and face).

This is interesting and I have read it before;  One question I would raise is
whether the cross cultural studies are valid relative to prior epochs;  the
variable that comes to mind is the present avialiability of food,
irrespective of whether it is is compatible at all with paleo principles, even
in most third world countries (I do not mean to minimize the catastrophic
famines that exist in some areas, most often due to political turmoil).   The
Venus figure sculptures depicting obesity are,  I think,  the original subject
of this thread. Is there significance to the fact that, as has been mentioned
in some earlier posts on this general subject in the context of Inuit,
obesity would have probably been nearly unattainable during paleo timesexcept
during periods of unusually consistent availability of  calorically dense
foods. Of course, equating the Venus figures with any particular social
value,  such as pereception of beauty,  is purely speculative.  Rick