the 'perfect' body..

“4 fingers make 1 palm, and 4 palms make 1 foot, 6 palms make 1 cubit;
4 cubits make a man's height. And 4 cubits make one pace and 24 palms
make a man.
The length of a man's outspread arms is equal to his height.
From the roots of his hair to the bottom of his chin is the tenth of a
man's height; from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head is
one eighth of his height; from the top of the breast to the roots of
the hair will be the seventh part of the whole man. From the nipples
to the top of the head will be the fourth part of man. The greatest
width of the shoulders contains in itself the fourth part of man. From
the elbow to the tip of the hand will be the fifth part of a man; and
from the elbow to the angle of the armpit will be the eighth part of
man. The whole hand will be the tenth part of the man. The distance
from the bottom of the chin to the nose and from the roots of the hair
to the eyebrows is, in each case the same, andlike the ear, a third of
the face.”

The human figure is an average of 7 heads high.
The width from shoulder to shoulder is 3 heads width.
The distance from the hip to the toes is 4 heads.
The distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the chest is 2
heads.
The distance from the wrist to the end of the outstretched fingers of
the hand is 1 head.
The length from top to bottom of the buttocks is 1 head.
The distance from the elbow to the end of outstretched fingers is 2
heads.

The waist-hip ratio (WHR) “for healthy, pre-menopausal women is
generally between 0.67 and 0.80, but for men it is usually between
0.85 and 0.95 (National Academy of Sciences, 1991). WHR has been shown
to be a reliable morphological indicator of the levels of sex
hormones, and also the risk of major diseases, reproductive potential,
and premature mortality. (Sex Roles: A Journal of Research - August,
1998; The role of body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, and breast size in
judgments of female attractiveness, Adrian Furnham) Generally a WHR
of 7.0 is considered very attractive while anything more than an 8.0
WHR is considered as possibly unhealthy if it is indeed fat and not
muscle… As far as the (breast to hip ratio, BHR) - it usually is about
the same ratio as the hips to waist. Although we know a lot of people
don't abide by this and for some -- bigger is better. It is a matter
of preference really but generally an hour glass shape is sought
after. And there are no known harmful diseases or disorders
symptomatic of having large breasts other than some back aches and
headaches.” http://www.yestheyrefake.net/ideal_beauty2.htm (“Ideal
Beauty?” from the "Yes They're Fake" web site on plastic surgery and
cosmetic enhancement)

In this century,
sports have provided models for ideal male body proportions. Beginning
with the rise of televised football in the 1960's, and the subsequent
fitness boom, an increasingly muscular silhouette has been presented
as the ultimate male form. This ideal is quite different from that
presented in earlier periods.”

“Men’s ideals for their own physique tends to be "bigger equals
better." This preference is consistent with the Freudian construct
that men are obsessed with large objects or parts of their anatomy.
According to Adam Drewnowski (1995), more men wanted to gain weight
rather than lose weight. The use of steroids and excessive weight
lifting can accomplish this goal of a larger body. Women however tend
to find men of average size to be most attractive. Michael Cunningham
(1990) found that women prefer men with moderately broad shoulders who
are of medium height and have a chest slightly larger than average,
but not as large and powerful as a traditional body builder’s chest.
Devendra Singh (1995) examined the role of male body shape, as defined
by their waist-to-hip ratio, in women’s mate choices. Again men found
in the typical size range were judged as more attractive, healthy, and
possessing many positive personal qualities.”