Anderson, J. L., Crawford, C. B., Nadeau, J., & Lindberg, T. (1992). Was the Duchess of Windsor right? A cross-cultural review of the socioecology of ideals of female body shape. Ethology and Sociobiology, 13, 197–277.

Authors explored the question why some cultures prefer thin women, while others value female fatness. They used the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample to investigate such biological functions of female body fat as storage of calories, insulation, and regulation of fertility.

The study found that attitudes toward fatness in women across cultures are associated with (1) climate, (2) reliability of food supply, (3) the value placed on women’s work, (4) relative social dominance of women, and (5) the likelihood that the adolescent sexuality being expressed would have adverse effects on girls. Authors believe that their results can be useful to provide an ultimate explanation for observed patterns in attitudes toward female fatness.