London, Jan 17: Ever wondered why celebs such as Kylie Minogue, fare well in polls of the "best celebrity legs,” despite being short in height? Well, Polish researchers have answered the query by concluding that legs 5 per cent longer than the average are most attractive on the eye, even when their owner is no taller than average.
Studies have shown that taller people are generally considered more attractive, but researchers at the University of Wroclaw wanted to see whether leg length alone could have an effect on perceptions.
For the study, the team recruited 218 males and females and asked them to judge the attractiveness of seven male and seven female images.
The images were altered so that figures were the same height but their leg length varied between 15 per cent shorter and longer than the country's national average.
Researchers found that those with limbs 5 per cent longer than the average were rated highest.
Coming in equal second were the legs 10 per cent longer and those fitting the national average, reports New Scientist magazine.
The researchers measured the volunteers themselves and found their personal proportions didn't influence their answer
The team said that the findings could explain the sex appeal of stars such as Kylie Minogue, who despite being only 5ft tall, has topped polls of the "best celebrity legs".
Dr Boguslaw Pawlowski, who led the study, said that long legs signal health.
He said that short legs are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes and with higher levels of a body fat called triglyceride, which is linked to the clogging of the arteries, heart disease, strokes and insulin resistance in men.
Though the study was limited to Polish people, Dr Pawlowski suspects the results would apply across most Western cultures.
The study is published in the journal Evolution and Human Behaviour.
Bureau Report
