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Even when thin is in, a classic hourglass figure never seems to go out of style. Except when you're talking about natural selection, of course.

A new study suggests that women with less curvy figures may be more physically, politically and professionally competitive than those with a whittled waist. That's because the hormones that determine these emotional characteristics are also responsible for redistributing fat to the waist area.

The study's author looked at waist-to-hip ratios in cultures and analyzed the position of women relative to each. The popularity of the thicker waist in certain societies may depend on the economic and social equality of the women living in it.

In places where women are breadwinners who hold equal social sway with men, a more straight-up-and-down figure (or a high waist-to-hip-ratio) is desirable -- the norm in those nations is .8 or above. Whereas less economically and socially developed countries still prize a tiny waist (which produces a low waist-to-hip ratio) and were closer to .7 or less.

1,600 Calories...and Worth It?

    Cosi Double Trouble Brownie Sundae, Calories: 1,594, Total Fat: 95 g
    "One warm chocolate brownie & one blondie topped with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream & a cherry." Seven nights on the treadmill, alternating between self-loathing and considering eating another one when you get home.

    Laura Gilbert

    Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie, Calories: 1,600, Total Fat: 78 g
    Why have dessert when you can have novelty dessert?! It comes to your table fajita-style, sizzling in a cast iron skillet. And it's soaking in a vat of cinnamon butter. (Kind of like your heart.)

    Southeast Star, Flickr

    Romano's Macaroni Grill's Dessert Ravioli, Calories: 1,630, Total Fat: 74 g
    This Italian-inspired concoction consists of peanuts, caramel and chocolate in fried pastries served with vanilla ice cream and, uh, more caramel. Don't worry, their New York Cheesecake only has 1,610 calories.

    Watori Goro, Flickr

    P.F. Chang's Great Wall of Chocolate with Raspberry Sauce, Calories: 2,240, Total Fat: 89 g
    Well, it does have 20g of protein and we can write off the raspberry sauce as being in the fruit group, so it's sort of like salad, right?

    tresposhepreppy.blogspot.com

    Applebee's Sizzling Apple Pie with Ice Cream, Calories: 1,086, Total Fat: 56 g
    There's nothing more American than warm apple pie -- that has over a thousand calories. The ice cream melts over the sizzling sugary crust, creating a hot-and-cold classic for your piehole.

    Applebees.com

    Baskin-Robbins Heath Bar Shake, Calories: 2,310, Total Fat: 108 g
    We like our coffee like we like our men: blended with Heath ice cream and caramel and tastefully garnished with whipped cream and pieces of candy bars.

    BaskinRobbins.com

    Mimi's Café Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie, Calories: 1,879, Total Fat: 111 g
    Why choose between pecan pie and a chocolate dessert when you can jam them both onto one plate? Plus, pecans = heart-healthy fats, right? Right? Come back here, we're having chest pains.

    MimisCafe.com

    Friendly's Caramel Fudge Brownie Sundae, Calories: 1,530, Total fat: 70 g
    An Oreo brownie with five scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, caramel and whipped cream. Who could have guessed those ingredients would add up to such high digits? We blame new math.

    Friendlys.com

    Don Pablo's Chocolate Volcano Cake, Calories: 1,380, Total Fat: 77g
    (Not to be confused with the 1997 film.) Take one chocolate cinnamon cake, drop it in a pool of molten chocolate butter sauce, scoop ice cream on top and shovel into maw. Burp.

    Amazon

    On the Border Chocolate Turtle Empanadas, Calories: 1,280, Fat: 729 g
    Really, how better to wash down a meal of fried flour, refried beans and guac than a pile of pastries filled with chocolate, caramel and pecans. With ice cream. Delicioso!

    ontheborder.com


What's the link between pants size and personality? Cortisol, a hormone associated with stress-busting, also increases fat around the waist -- which means that women with higher waist-to-hip ratios are better equipped to cope with problems. And increased androgen levels, which make someone more likely to carry fat in the tummy instead of the thighs, are associated with "success" qualities like stamina, initiative, and assertiveness, according to the author.

Since science has long associated an hourglass figure with fertility, we find it heartening that men in developed countries value a woman who can pick up a check and hold up her end of an argument rather than one who can carry his babies.

Also on Lemondrop: Check out our gallery of adorably round animals.

Obeasts

    "Stop standing next to me, you're making me look fat."

    Getty Images

    This Chinese cat weighs 33 pounds, as much as four cats of average weight (or 132 sticks of butter).

    This big boy is a little down in the dumps. Perhaps it's the high carb diet?

    Flickr

    This cat's more than a little bit of a couch potato.

    Flickr

    Pug lug.

    Flickr

    This big guy was rescued by the Humane Society after getting stuck in a pet door while attempting to steal some dog food. Embarrassing.

    AP

    Is it just us, or does that dog look scared?

    AP

    This Labrador, named Chubby Charlie, was forced to go on a crash diet after ballooning to 168 pounds.

    AP

    These fat monkeys live in a tiny enclosure in a Japanese park. Their considerable monkey bulk is blamed on overfeeding by visitors.

    AP

    There are fat pigs, and then there are fat pigs.

    AP