Trends in Playboy Models

Centrefold models getting more androgynous

Based on 577 consecutive montly issues of Playboy, researchers graphed trends in height, body mass index, and waist to hip ratio. Wow, that would be a fun job; we always joke about scientific excuses for looking at naked women :-). Anyway, they discovered that:

  • BMI is dropping (20 to 18), making models skinnier
  • bust size is dropping, and waist to hip ratio is rising, making models less “hour-glass” shaped and more tubular
  • height is increasing, while weight remains constant

The net result; models are becoming less “classically” feminine, and more androgynous.

The real question is: are mens’ preferences changing, and is the media (including Playboy) documenting or causing the changes?