It's the end of the hourglass figure – and stressful careers are to blame

R.I.P the hourglass figure

The classic hourglass figure, made famous by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren, is dying out among women due to their stressful careers.

Busty bosoms, a nipped in waist and curvy hips seem to be a thing of the past and it's all down to the demands of modern working life.

According to anthropologist, Elizabeth Cashdan, high-powered women are more likely to have fat around their stomachs rather than their hips, which creates an 'straight up and down' figure (think Keira Knightley).

And it's all down to androgens, a type of hormone that includes testosterone.

These hormones help women become physically stronger and more able to withstand the stress and pressures associated with a high-flying job.

Previous medical studies have shown that a curvy waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 is linked to higher fertility and lower rates of chronic disease.

But as part of her research, Professor Cashdan discovered that this ratio was rarely found among women who are under pressure to rely on their own resources to support themselves and their families. Instead, she discovered an average waist to hip ratio of 0.8.

She said: 'The hormonal profile associated with high WHR (waist-to-hip ratios) may favour success in resource competition, particularly under stressful circumstances.'

'The androgenic effects – stamina-initiative, risk-proneness, assertiveness, dominance – should be particularly useful where a woman must depend on her own resources to support herself and her family.'

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